PEARS paceman Charlie Morris has signed a one-year contract extension up until the end of the 2019 campaign.
Morris, who was 26 last month, played a major role in Worcestershire gaining promotion in the County Championship in 2014 with 52 wickets.
The Hereford-born player followed that up with another 44 in Division One including career-best match figures of 9-109 against visiting Somerset.
Morris, who made his first class debut for Oxford MCCU six years ago, has taken 136 first class wickets in 48 games at 32.56.
Now he is back as part of the first team squad and has started on the comeback trail after a recent ankle injury in this week’s Second Eleven Championship triumph over Derbyshire at Belper.
Morris said the enjoyment he has been taking from cricket recently has helped him to perform since returning to the senior squad this summer.
“I’ve not been over-thinking cricket. I’ve just been enjoying it and I feel that takes pressure off myself. There is enough pressure out there when you go to perform.
“My mentality has just been to enjoy it and have fun and ‘what will be, will be’ and work as hard as I can in training and practice.
“I feel that has put me in a really good place and I’m really enjoying my cricket.
“Most sports people would definitely say they play at their best when they are relaxed and that has been my mentality and it has been great to be back in the first team,” he added.
Head coach Kevin Sharp paid tribute to the hard work and commitment shown by Morris in battling back into first team contention with his remodelled action this season after a 19 month gap.
“He has had a difficult couple of years but he had made his way back into the first eleven before his recent injury and we wanted to reward that,” he said.
“He has had some very sound performances in the first eleven this season so it’s all credit to him for the hard work he has put in that he has been rewarded with this extension.
“Charlie is a very hard-working young man who cares passionately about the game and cares about this club and he wants to do well. There wouldn’t be a finer professional anywhere in terms of his attitude towards his fitness and his skills.
“It has taken some time, as his confidence has been knocked, and that takes time to rebuild. As each week goes by he is gradually regaining that.”