PAT Brown admits it was the best day of his life being part of the Worcestershire side who clinched promotion back to County Championship Division One but he aims “to build on last year’s breakthroughs” in 2018.

The paceman had strived to nail down a regular second XI spot but ended up playing six T20 Blast matches and four of the last five Championship games.

Academy product Brown, who is on a scholarship at the University of Worcester, showed raw aggression which at times unsettled batsman.

But the 19-year-old also recognised that attributes such as control with the ball are just as important as being a strike bowler.

He has been working on that aspect this winter and making improvements to his action to help him swing the ball away from batsmen with new head bowling coach Alan Richardson.

Brown signed his first professional contract with the County for when he completes his university studies and was part of the pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi for the second year running.

He said: “My end goal was to play in the first team but my immediate goals were to establish a place in the second team and be one of the best bowlers in that.

“To get the call-up and do enough to keep getting picked was really nice and surprising. To be part of the team when we got promoted was amazing — the best day of my life.

“Abu Dhabi last year really helped me because we did some short-ball bowling as part of the batsman’s drill.

“I bowled fairly quick, was challenging and from there they realised that could be a role I could fulfil if required.

“Although my job wasn’t to contain (last year), it was a real eye opener just how hard that part of the game is.

"I gained so much respect for people like Joe Leach, Ed Barnard and Josh Tongue.

“It is something I’ve been working on this winter — to try to bring my pitch map in a bit and be able to do both roles in the first team and not just be a strike bowler.

“I’ve made improvements with my action as well. The challenge will be holding onto that into the season as we get into the grind where your body gets tired and you slip into old ways.

“But Richo has been really good. We’ve spoken a lot and worked a lot on things.

“Is that to make me bowl quicker? Quicker, to have more control and be more upright so I can swing it away as well.”

Brown has been working on harnessing his natural aggression as a bowler with maintaining control of his emotions.

He said: “That is something I got a lot better at last year. I felt 95 per cent of the time I was in full control of what I was doing and saying which wasn’t the case before.

“There is still a way to go with that in terms of my temperament but I am definitely getting better and I don’t want to lose it altogether because it brings out the best in me when it is controlled.”

Brown is delighted to have earned his first professional contract.

He added: “It is really nice to have that straight out of university as well. It is a weight off the shoulders but I want to build on last year’s breakthroughs.

“With Steve Magoffin coming here, my role would probably be a bit different in terms of how I see myself getting into the first team, maybe more white-ball cricket.

“Hopefully I do well in the second team and force my way in but if it’s the same as last year and I play white ball and then come in as a fifth seamer, an X-factor, I’d obviously love to do that again.”