New model Plunkett ready to fire

After a mixed 2008, a renewed Liam Plunkett led Durham's title defence with 55 wickets, including Chris Read at the Riverside

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“The new Liam Plunkett” is itching to show England just how much he has progressed since his last international appearance more than two years ago.

Plunkett, like the rest of the England squad, was confined to the team hotel today as rain ensured a frustrating washout at the Wanderers, where the first instalment of the five-match one-day international series with South Africa was scheduled to take place.

The 24-year-old seamer, who was already in the Test reckoning this winter but also called into the ODI party as cover for the injured Stuart Broad, must therefore wait until Sunday at least before he gets his chance.

Plunkett is on a mission to reclaim his place in both formats, having not featured since June 2007 at home to West Indies.

He admits he had to have a rethink about his career during a hiatus which also saw him battling to remain in Durham’s first-choice XI while they were winning their maiden county championship in 2008.

Plunkett returned with a vengeance in a second successive title-winning campaign, and has since been rewarded with his recall to England’s touring squads.

That, though, is far from the end of the story as far as he is concerned.

“I want to be pushing to play, in the one-dayers now as well as the Tests,” said Plunkett, who has so far featured in 27 of the former and nine of the latter.

“I don’t want to be carrying the drinks.”

Plunkett’s learning curve was not always easy, and in the end it was honesty with himself which helped him back in the right direction.

“After I got dropped from the England team, I was struggling for a year,” he acknowledges. “I knew it wasn’t really good enough and I had to do something about it.

Plunkett holds a return catch off Chris Gayle in his last England match at Trent Bridge in 2007, but it was not all plain sailing

“I told (Durham coach) Geoff (Cook) I was struggling and I knew I wasn’t bowling well enough to play - to keep others out.

“It was a year too long really. I knew that couldn’t go on. But I think I grew up a lot in that time.”

The remedy centred first of all on straight talking, and then some straighter thinking too.

“I focused more on trying to get people out, rather than worrying about my action or maybe bowling a wide,” he recalls.

“I’ve definitely started enjoying it a lot more in the last year.

“It’s the new Liam Plunkett, and I want to show what I can do.”

Plunkett’s outstanding 2009 began on England Lions’ tour of New Zealand in March when a team captained by Robert Key drew two unofficial four-day Tests against New Zealand A.

“I went to New Zealand with the Lions,” he recalls.

“Getting that call-up really helped me - and soon I was happy with the way things were working.

“My batting, as well as my bowling, has started to get better.”

While Plunkett’s patience is unlikely to be tested for too much longer, South Africa too were left kicking their heels in the rain today.

Proteas coach Mickey Arthur admitted: “It is very frustrating. We were looking forward to getting stuck into the series.

“We felt we picked up good momentum in the Standard Bank Pro20 Series, and our players are raring to go.”