Mitchell Stanley signs new rookie contract with Worcestershire

The 19-year-old, who is an academy product, signed his first contract last autumn but will now remain at New Road until the end of 2021

Pace bowler Mitchell Stanley has signed a new 12-month rookie contract with Worcestershire.

The 19-year-old, who is an academy product, signed his first contract last autumn but will now remain at New Road until the end of 2021.

Speaking of Stanley, bowling coach Alan Richardson said: “Mitchell is raw but now part of that exciting bowling group and should, as next season goes on, be pushing the other guys and knocking on the door.

“You watch him, and there are some real raw materials there. He is nice and tall, is getting more athletic and stronger the more time he spends with us.

“He has got that little bit of devil in his eye where you think ‘he’s got that fast bowler’s mentality.’”

Stanley joined the academy during the 2017-18 intake and was retained the following year.

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He played some second XI cricket for the county at the end of 2019 and because of Covid-19, county opportunities were hard to come by but he played club cricket for Shifnal. Stanley impressed in training and was added to the Vitality Blast squad towards the end of the campaign.

Richardson added: “There is still a bit of work to be done and he’s been unlucky not to play more over the last couple of years because of injury – the nature of the beast when you are growing and the impact on your body when bowling pretty quickly as he does.

“But he showed enough in training to say if asked to play he would be able to do a job and he deserves his new contract.

“He performed brilliantly in training and whilst we would have liked him to play more cricket, it’s a nice stepping stone for him to kick on hopefully this winter and next season – fingers crossed – will be a full one and he will get some games under his belt.”

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