ben cox’s proud record of playing every specsavers county championship match for the last five years has come to an end because of injury.
the worcestershire wicket-keeper batsman had featured in 76 successive games in the competition.
cox came back into the side in place of michael johnson for the final two games of the 2013 campaign – and has been an ever present in the four-day format since then until now.
the 26-year-old has defied three broken ribs to play in the opening six matches in the vitality blast.
but cox is resting up his injury while alex milton makes his debut in the current championship game with somerset at New Road.
after playing the final two games of 2013, cox has featured in every game in 2014 (16), 2015 (16), 2016 (15 when kent game washed out), 2017 (14) and the first seven on this summer.
he made his debut for the county against this week’s opponents in 2009 as a 17-year-old at taunton when his first victim was marcus trescothick.
milton is officially the 510th player to play championship cricket for worcestershire followed by on loan paceman luke wood (511).
the pair received their caps before the game from former worcestershire paceman paul pridgeon who now runs the county’s satellite shropshire academy.
