IT has been a decade since Ben Cox's first-team debut and he is determined to keep challenging himself to stay at the peak of his powers.

The Worcestershire wicketkeeper-batsman first appeared in the final game of 2009 at Somerset when he scored 61 and dismissed Marcus Trescothick.

For the past six seasons he has established himself as the County’s number one gloveman and last summer got his 300th dismissal for the club.

Cox, 27, demands high standards of himself supplemented by a punishing gym schedule and a series of sessions last summer with ex-England keeper James Foster.

But Cox, who is playing grade cricket in Australia for Southern Districts, knows he must try to continually stay ahead of the game by always looking to improve.

He said: “I’m comfortable in my game now. I’m at that sort of age where you work things out. You know your game inside out.

“Ten years is something to be proud of in itself. Not many people can say they’ve had a 10-year career so I’m very lucky to be still going.

“Another 10 years as a player? I’d like to hope so. That’s why I do all my fitness work — to make sure I stay on top and at the peak of my powers all the time.

“Fingers crossed, that should never be an issue. It’s just a case of maintaining form.

“But I think you have to always keep looking for ideas to help you improve your game otherwise you just don’t get any better.

“If you have completed one journey you need to go onto the next one and keep challenging yourself to get better.”

Cox has relished working with Foster who also put Alex Milton and Henry Cullen through their paces.

He said: “When Fozzy has been in he has been brilliant. I always say to him ‘make me drop as many balls as possible’ and then the practice is hard.

“I love having him in because it means my keeping practice is so specific and testing and challenging. That’s all anyone ever wants really.”