Worcestershire’s chairman is backing Jake Libby to fill the void left by a retiring club legend.

Jake Libby joined the Pears from Nottinghamshire at the end of the 2019 season and has been one of the sides most prolific batsman ever since.

Impressing across all formats, Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group chairman Paul Pridgeon feels the 28-year-old has cemented himself as “one of our own” and added that it feels “as if he has been with us from day one of his career”.

With Daryll Mitchell drawing a close to his sixteen-year career, Pridgeon is hopeful that Libby will step up and fill the role of senior opener in the red-ball game.

Pridgeon, also Worcestershire Vice-Chairman, said: “I can’t think of another domestic signing who has been such a significant impact for us right from the start.

“He has been a complete revelation for us, hasn’t he? He has been fantastic. He has come in; he has been consistent and not just in red-ball cricket, but he has been very consistent across all formats.

“Jake settled in very quickly. It is as if he has been with us from day one of his career. I’m sure if you ask him, he will say he has absolutely loved it.

“He has enjoyed being with the boys, enjoyed the people he has met. He is very much, dare I say it, one of our own, even though he has only been here two years. That is exactly how he comes over.”

There is no reason to doubt Pridgeon’s optimism as Libby has excelled throughout his two years at New Road.

As the club’s red-ball opener he finished as the second-highest scorer in the country in both 2020 and 2021.

Pridgeon added: “With Daryl (Mitchell) retiring, Jake will become the senior opener, certainly in red-ball cricket, and he is the sort of guy who will relish and handle that.

“He has a very level temperament. When he is at the crease, he is really calm and measured.”