Cox and Rhodes pledge future to County - The Worcester Observer

Cox and Rhodes pledge future to County

Worcester Editorial 8th Jul, 2016 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

WORCESTERSHIRE wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Cox has signed a new four-year contract with the county.

The Pears academy prodigy, who posted a career-best NatWest T20 Blast score of 59 in Rapids’ defeat to Derbyshire Falcons on Friday, will represent the county until the end of the 2020 campaign.

The 24-year-old made his first-team debut seven years ago while still at school and has been in outstanding form over the past two seasons.

He was the Pears’ second highest scorer in the Specsavers County Championship Division One campaign last year and had an 88 per cent success rate in terms of catches taken behind the stumps.




Cox has continued in the same vein this summer and believes the county are inching closer to silverware.

“I’m delighted to have signed the four-year contract at Worcestershire,” said Cox.


“I want to play my cricket here, so for the club to back that up and show they have faith in me for the next four years is tremendous.

“I’m a Worcester boy and have been here since I was nine-years-old. I’ve never thought of leaving.

“I see this squad of players winning silverware at some point, whether it’s this year or the next couple of years. We’ve got the players to win trophies.”

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes, a former England wicketkeeper in his playing days, is happy to have secured Cox’s long-term future with the county and is predicting a bright future for the young keeper-batsman.

Rhodes said: “We’re delighted Ben has signed the new contract. What is really pleasing about Ben as a person and as a cricketer, is he is such a club man and team man.

“He’s very proud to wear the Three Pears badge and is a Worcestershire man through and through. He’s a terrific wicketkeeper and to be so consistent at such a young age is incredibly good.

“But his match-winning experience and ability with the bat in the different formats has also been excellent.

“It’s very tricky going into bat towards the end of an innings but he does it superbly. He’s often still there at the finish and wins games of cricket.”

George Rhodes has also extended his stay at Worcestershire by signing a two-year contract.

The 22-year-old all-rounder made his senior breakthrough earlier this season in white ball cricket, in both the Royal London One-Day Cup and NatWest T20 Blast.

Rhodes has become the third generation of his family to play first-team cricket, following in the footsteps of grandfather Billy, who was a keeper-batsman at Nottinghamshire in the early 60s, and father Steve, who played for the county and Yorkshire.

Since last August, 11 Worcestershire players have extended their contracts.

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Worcester Observer.

Announcements

Weddings, Birthdays, Bereavements, Thank you notices, Marriages and more.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Worcester Observer.

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Worcester Observer newspaper.