Daryl Mitchell (cricketer) : biography
Daryl Keith Henry Mitchell (born in Badsey, Worcestershire on 25 November 1983) is an English cricketer. Primarily a right-handed batsman who often opens the innings, Mitchell also bowls right-arm medium pace. He currently plays first class cricket for Worcestershire. He was appointed vice-captain for the 2010 season, and made captain when Vikram Solanki resigned in mid-August.
Career
Debut
After having appeared fairly regularly in the Worcestershire second team since 2002, Mitchell made his first-class debut for the county in May 2005 against Loughborough UCCE at Kidderminster. He made only five and 12 as Worcestershire slumped to an eight-wicket defeat, but after a few weeks out of the side Mitchell returned to the first team, and in mid-June he scored 63 against Leicestershire.
Mitchell’s first full season was in the Twenty20 Cup saw a failure with the bat – an aggregate of just nine runs in four innings – balanced by five wickets in 13 overs with the ball, including 2–26 against Somerset.
2006–2008
After a successful winter playing in Australia, Mitchell began the 2006 season as a first choice opener in the absence of overseas player Phil Jaques and scored his first half-century of the season against Somerset.
2009
Mitchell endured a tricky 2009 season, struggling to make the impression at the top of the order he did the season before with Stephen Moore. However, Mitchell produced a strong batting performance in the penultimate Championship game of the season against Somerset at Taunton. He struck 298, his maiden first-class double century and the fifth highest individual score by a Worcestershire batsman, which included 54 boundaries and one six. He also became the first cricketer in history to be dismissed for that score.
During an end-of-season 20-over benefit match, Mitchell further demonstrated his versatility by keeping wicket, taking two stumpings.
2010
Mitchell was appointed vice-captain to Vikram Solanki for the start of the season, replacing the departed Gareth Batty. He struck a rich vein of form that season, scoring four centuries and 1,000 runs by mid-August. Three of his centuries came in consecutive innings, two against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham, where he led Worcestershire to an improbable victory having been 202 behind on first innings, and another, a fine 165, against Glamorgan. Following defeat in this last match, Solanki resigned as captain, and Mitchell was immediately appointed his successor.
Career best performances
as of 19 July 2010
Batting | Bowling | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
FC | 298 | Worcestershire v Somerset | Taunton | 2009 | 4–49 | Worcestershire v Yorkshire | Headingley | 2009 |
LA | 92 | Worcestershire v Somerset | Taunton | 2008 | 4–42 | Worcestershire v Lancashire | Worcester | 2006 |
T20 | 39 | Worcestershire v Lancashire | Worcester | 2010 | 4–11 | Worcestershire v Gloucestershire | Bristol | 2008 |