Worcestershire CCC Academy product Mitchell Stanley has signed his first full professional contract with the club.
Stanley has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at New Road until the end of the 2023 campaign.
The 20-year-old had previously signed ‘rookie’ contracts with Worcestershire in the autumn of 2019 and then last December.
This summer, he played four Second Eleven Championship and seven Second Eleven T20 matches but missed a chunk of the season with a side strain.
Telford born Stanley linked up with the Academy halfway through the 2017-2018 programme after impacting the Fast Bowling programme that winter and was retained as part of the 2018-2019 intake.
He was included in the Worcestershire Rapids squad during the latter part of their 2020 Vitality Blast programme.
Worcestershire Head Coach Alex Gidman said: “Mitch has come through the ranks and done well with the Academy through working with Elliot (Wilson) and Kevin (Sharp) and the other coaches there.
“He is one we have had an eye on for a few years, and certainly Alan Richardson and ourselves have seen enough to keep wanting to work with him over the next few years.
“We think there is a good fast bowler in there and hence the reason we have decided to keep him on a longer contract.
“At the moment, he is still getting used to being a professional cricketer and has got a lot of work to do physically.
“Mitch has to get stronger and understand physically and mentally what it takes to be a bowler in first-team cricket.”
Stanley said: “I was so delighted when the club awarded me a two-year contract, and I want to repay the faith they have shown in me.
“I was a bit down after not having the chance to possibly play in the Royal London Cup because of injury. I was hoping to play in the majority of those games and prove myself.
“The side strain was the last thing I wanted, and I thought after that I would be on another rookie contract, but they have really backed me with this contract.
“Dillon (Pennington) and Adam (Finch) have got their chance, and it’s my ambition to follow in their footsteps and get into the first-team squad.
“They’ve kicked on, and I want to do the same. Pat (Brown) is also still young and has played for England.
“As regards my fitness, it is a process of building everything up and, when you get injured, you’ve got to come back stronger, and that is the plan.”
