DARYL Mitchell might be Worcestershire’s senior professional – but the opening batsman says he is still learning and striving to improve his game.

And the 33-year-old, who has this week signed a new four-year contract at New Road, would like to emulate the consistency he showed during the 2014 campaign.

Mitchell has scored more than 10,000 first class runs at an average of 40 as well as making key contributions in white ball cricket during the past decade but he is not resting on his laurels.

He said: “I think I am still learning the game. If you stop being open to learning, then you are not going to get any better.

“You’ve always got to keep striving to improve and, if you think you are at a certain level and try to maintain that, then you are going to drop off. It’s all about trying to get better.

“I think the game is changing as well.

“You think of the game now, the T20, the shots that have come out.

“Even now, you can try and learn a few different shots or different ideas, techniques of playing the ball, or trying to hit different areas to miss fielders in the short format.

“It’s a never ending cycle isn’t it. In cricket there is so much you can do and who knows what will come next.”

Mitchell added: “I would like to get back the consistency of 2014. From a run-scoring point of view, that’s been my best year.

“That is the standard you strive to be. I was close to averaging 60, hit 1,400 runs, and did very well in the T20 as well.

“It is certainly something you can look back on and think ‘what did I do well there?’ and try and learn from that and try and emulate it as best as you can.”