LONG-SERVING opener Daryl Mitchell became the 25th player to complete 10,000 first class runs for Worcestershire.
PCA chairman Mitchell reached the milestone when on 87 against Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground.
A cover drive for three off spinner Jeevan Mendis took the 33-year-old to the personal milestone and earned him warm applause from the Pears balcony.
Former team-mate David Leatherdale, now the PCA’s CEO, was the last player to reach the milestone for Worcestershire.
Mitchell passed 10,000 career runs with two centuries in the County Championship against Northamptonshire last August.
But 402 of that tally came for other teams – 339 for Mountaineers in Zimbabwe and 63 for the MCC against Yorkshire in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
Mitchell is the latest in a long line of openers who have been key performers for the county.
The club’s record run-scorer Don Kenyon, Glenn Turner, Tim Curtis, Ron Headley and Alan Ormrod all enjoyed success from the 1950s onwards and passed 10,000 runs.
Mitchell was dismissed for 120 in an opening stand of 243 with Brett D’Oliveira who made 150.
The young opener hailed the former captain’s achievement, although he admitted both he and Mitchell did not initially know why everyone was cheering.
“We were a bit stunned out there in the middle, we didn’t know what everyone was cheering for!
“But as soon as we walked in for tea, we sort of knew and had a chat inside and congratulated him. It was great.
“He is a man of few words is Mitch but I’m sure he is very happy with that. I’m certainly happy and I know the guys are.
“I thought he played a fantastic knock and helped me a hell of a lot.
“For Mitch to pass 10,000 runs for Worcestershire is a hell of an achievement and I am really happy for him,” he said.