Jake Libby has combined scoring buckets of runs for Worcestershire CCC with his determination to occupy the crease during an excellent start to the 2021 season.
Libby has faced more deliveries than any other player in the LV=Insurance County Championship this summer by a considerable distance during the opening two-thirds of the competition’s group phase.
He has defied everything opposing attacks have thrown at him for a staggering 1,374 balls – an even more creditable achievement considering he often has to contend with the new ball when bowlers are at their freshest and most potent.
Only Haseeb Hameed (1123), Alex Lees (1059), Tom Abell (1062) and Rory Burns (1031) have topped the 1,000 balls faced mark and are well adrift of the 28-year-old.
Libby is also the second-highest run-scorer in the Championship in 2021.
His second innings knock of 64 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge took his tally to 611 at an average of 67.88 with two hundreds and three fifties in just 11 innings.
Only Durham’s David Bedingham (624) has been more prolific than Libby, who was the leading run-scorer in the group stages of the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy.
The top run-scorers this season are:
David Bedingham (Durham) – 624
JAKE LIBBY (WORCESTERSHIRE) – 611
Matt Critchley (Derbyshire) – 561
Ollie Pope (Surrey) – 555
Rory Burns (Surrey) – 554
Kiran Carlson (Glamorgan) – 552
Adam Lyth (Yorkshire) – 538
Tom Abell (Somerset) – 529
Tom Haines (Sussex) – 506
Lewis Hill (Leicestershire) 502
