TIPPED as the future Graeme Hick when he arrived at New Road, Holland international Alexei Kervezee has a more modest target in his sights for the 2010 campaign.

Following a season of discontent at Worcestershire, the 20-year-old batsman was one of the few shining lights of the past campaign.

Having joined the County as a 17-year-old, Kervezee finally broke into the LV County Championship XI at New Road last term.

After a shaky start, the Namibian-born player started to feel more at ease at the crease. Now, with two gaping holes in the Worcestershire batting line-up following the departures of opener Stephen Moore and wicketkeeper Steve Davies, Kervezee feels more than ready to step into the breach.

“I want to cement myself in the first team here at Worcester next season,” the quiet Dutchman said.

“I would like to try and take over Stephen Moore’s place at the top of the order. I know there is a lot of pressure but I enjoy opening, so its an opportunity that I relish.”

For a player who describes himself as a jumpy and edgy character, it is quite hard to see him walking out with vice-captain Daryl Mitchell when Worcestershire return to action in April.

But opening the batting is nothing new to Kervezee. Regularly first out of the pavilion with Holland, he has fast become a steadfast opener for the Orangemen who stunned England in last year’s World Twenty20 tournament.

The youngster should have been heading out to Dubai today for two weeks with his international colleagues. However, the player who is hoping to become Worcestershire’s silent assassin with the bat has had to remain with the County after having his appendix removed.

Having made the step up from second XI to first-class cricket, Kervezee has the potential to be a star of the future.

But despite his future celebrity billing the Dutchman, who is still two years away from becoming England-qualified, is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“I hope that I can fill one of the gaps left by Steve Davies and Stephen Moore and stay in the first team,” he said.

“It is quite hard to set yourself targets in terms of runs because you don’t know how many games you are going to play.

“I do have a rough figure in my head of where I want to be though.”

While reasonably pleased with how the 2009 campaign went for him, Kervezee knows that 2010 has the potential to be his big year.

“I really enjoyed breaking into the first team last season.” Kervezee added.

“It was a challenge and, even though, to a degree, I was happy with how things went personally, it was disappointing at the same time from a team perspective.”