Lewis keen to cement spot

Jon Lewis made the most of a rare chance in England colours on Saturday © Getty Images

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Jon Lewis is hoping his perseverance during a year of England frustration will earn him a regular place in their one-day line-up.

The Gloucestershire seamer, regularly been brought into squads to provide cover, is widely regarded as the finest seam bowler available to England outside the established members of the Test and one-day sides.

But, despite being included in all seven Test squads this summer, Lewis featured just once - in the final Test defeat to Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in June.

It has been a similar story in the limited-overs arena, with Lewis making only his fourth one-day international appearance for England during their seven-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the second match of the NatWest Series at Lord’s on Saturday.

“It’s not been easy, but it’s something you’ve just got to do,” stressed 31-year-old Lewis, the pick of England’s bowlers at Lord’s after claiming 2-11 from eight overs.

“You’ve got to be prepared to do it if you’re going to be part of the England squad.

“There are times when you’re going to be left out and it’s great to go back and play for Gloucestershire - I really enjoy playing there.

Lewis celebrates removing Mohammad Hafeez en route to figures of 2-11 © Getty Images

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“But if the opportunity presents itself you’ve got to make sure you take it.

“You’ve got to turn up at all these Test matches and prepare as if you’re as fresh as a daisy.

“It’s not easy by any means. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody else - to have to keep going backwards and forwards all the time - but I think it’s been harder for the guys playing for Gloucestershire than me, to be honest.”

Lewis has probably suffered from being regarded as similar in pace and style to Yorkshire seamer Matthew Hoggard, a key member of England’s Test line-up even if he has failed to cement a place in the one-day side.

But with England currently in the middle of a slump at one-day level - they have won just four of their last 23 limited-overs matches - the selectors have again returned to more experienced players like Lewis and Darren Gough to try to change their fortunes.

It has not worked thus far in the five-match series, which Pakistan lead 1-0, but Lewis remains enthusiastic about every opportunity he is given as he desperately attempts to establish a place in the side.

“Every time you play for England it’s important that you bowl as well as you can,” he explained. “Whatever you’ve done beforehand is reasonably irrelevant.

Lewis has not been deterred by missing out on the final XI so often © Getty Images

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“If you’re playing for England you’ve got to seize the chance and take the opportunity to play and cement your place in the side, which I really want to do.

“I want to play as much as I can for England before I get too old.

"I’m really happy with the way things went at Lord’s for me and if I get a game on Tuesday hopefully I’ll do the same sort of thing.”

His next opportunity to impress should come in Tuesday’s day-night encounter at the Rose Bowl, where Lewis first made an impression for England by claiming 4-24 on his international debut in last summer’s Twenty20 victory over Australia.

He admitted: “I’m looking forward to going back to the Rose Bowl because it’s a place that suits seam bowling.

“The ball seams and swings down there so there is an opportunity for me to use the conditions.

“If the conditions don’t suit swing or seam then I’ll have to bowl in a different way.

“It’s not all about just running up and putting it on a length - you have to have other skills as well.”

He added: “We’re a young side and we’re 1-0 down in the series, but there are three games to go and we showed at Lord’s that we can compete against them.”