Somerset star Trego prepares for England duty

Somerset star Pete Trego is ready to sacrifice his holiday-time in a bid to boost his chances of an England call-up.

The Weston-super-Mare-born all-rounder missed out on senior international selection when the winter squads were announced recently.

But Trego's attitude is 'have bat, will travel' as he accepts the clock is ticking on his England prospects.

The 28-year-old will play for England in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament this weekend – reward for four consistent seasons with Somerset CCC.

But after that his winter programme is bare and he is ready to up sticks and play state cricket abroad to try to force himself into the selectors' thoughts.

Trego played in every one of Somerset's 49 competitive games in 2009 – plus several friendlies – but he insists rest is not part of his plans.

The Hong Kong Sixes helped Jonathan Trott and Luke Wright progress to this winter's Test tour after England won the tournament last year and the 2009 squad will be managed by England national selector Geoff Miller.

Trego said: "The Hong Kong Sixes is an opportunity to impress and I know my mind is on the England one-day team that is going to Bangladesh in the new year. That squad will be a bit different to the normal team so there is potential there for people to step up.

"Over the past three seasons there has been talk that I have been close to a call-up and all I have ever wanted is an opportunity.

"The Hong Kong Sixes is the bottom rung of the ladder but at least it's a start. At 28, time is ticking on for me."

Trego is hoping to network at the two-day tournament and try to get out to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa to keep his hand in.

After playing non-stop since March, he could be forgiven for wanting to kick back.

"Rest is not what I am thinking about because that won't get me in the England picture and neither will training in the gym," he said.

"I have had a few conversations with people from (New Zealand state side) Otago about playing there. That might not happen but ideally I will keep playing somewhere. All the hard work has got me through the domestic season and, although I would never say I am the perfect specimen, this is the fifth season I have got through it."

Trego is only just back from Somerset CCC's Champions League trip to India, where they were eliminated before the semi-finals, after defeats to eventual finalists New South Wales and Trinidad and Tobago.

On the whole Somerset's bowling was up to standard but their batting fell well short of expectations.

Trego said: "I think we were always behind the eight ball after the power-play (the first six overs when only two fielders are allowed on the boundary).

"We tended to lose three or four wickets and we were behind the run-rate we wanted to achieve. Really you need to be ahead of that rate after the power-play and we didn't have much chance of getting up to it after the power-play."

Trego's tournament highlight was being named bowler of the match in the one-wicket win over Indian Premier League champions Deccan Chargers, when he dismissed VVS Laxman and Andrew Symonds.

"That was a fantastic moment for me and the team. We have all been given a disc of the game and it was an experience no one can take away from us," said Trego.

"It didn't go right for me with the bat but I felt it bowled well in the opportunities I was given. That was the part of my game that held the most question marks. But I have always had the confidence to play against the big-name players."

Trego and the rest of the England party, which is captained by Chris Read, head out to Hong Kong on Wednesday. England are in a group with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.