WORCESTERSHIRE skipper Daryl Mitchell has said his fourth promotion with the county is probably his most satisfying.
The 30-year-old was part of the team which went up to Division One in the County Championship in 2006, 2008 and 2010, but this was his first as captain for the entire campaign.
It has also been Mitchell’s most prolific season with 1,334 Championship runs with five centuries as he has shepherded a young squad through the many ups and occasional downs of a memorable summer.
Mitchell said: “For me, this is probably the most satisfying (promotion).
“I don’t think anyone gave us a chance of promotion at the start of the season, certainly the bookmakers and all the so-called experts in the press wrote us off.
“So it’s always nice to prove a few people wrong.
“To do it with a game to spare was a tremendous effort and I am very proud.
“I have watched these kids grow up from the academy through to second team and the first eleven.
“To achieve something with this group of players means a hell of a lot.”
Mitchell added he was still delighted with the season’s outcome despite an innings defeat to Essex in their final game which cost them the title to Hampshire.
“Yes, it was disappointing to finish with defeat at Essex but if you take the season as a whole, we have won eight out of 16 games which is a tremendous effort,” he added.
“It would have been nice to finish top but, to finish in the top two, we would have snapped your hands off at the start of the year so we’ve got to be happy with how things have gone.”