Cricket: Hegg ready to make his mark behind the stumps

By RICHARD BOOCK in Queenstown

Warren Hegg has a couple of good reasons for wanting to make the most of his opportunities when England's tour match against Otago begins today.

It will be the Lancashire wicketkeeper's first game for England since the fifth test at Sydney in the summer of 1998-99, and his first this season despite being in the side throughout the tour of India.

Since his international debut he has played second fiddle to Chris Read - who became famous for attempting to duck a Chris Cairns' slower ball in 1999 - as well as Alec Stewart and incumbent James Foster, the 21-year-old who was dropped midway through last month's one-day series.

Hegg would also like to demonstrate to the England selectors that he is a viable option for the World Cup, especially after Foster proved so unconvincing in New Zealand that he was replaced behind the stumps by opening batsman Marcus Trescothick.

The 30-year-old Hegg, with a broad Lancashire accent, said he would leave the game unfulfilled if he could not add to his two-test career. He also wants to play in one-day internationals.

"You'd like to play as many tests and ODIs as you can and I'd like to play more," he said after practice in Queenstown yesterday.

"If I stopped thinking I was a contender for the World Cup it would be time to give away my international hopes and aspirations altogether.

"All I can do is to concentrate on my own game and try to be successful whenever I pull on an England shirt, and try to retain a consistent performance in county cricket."

Like the rest of the England test squad, Hegg was simply agog at the spectacular setting for the tour game, which will be played underneath the stunning backdrop of the Remarkables mountain range.

"It's a beautiful ground. It just makes you realise how lucky you are to come to a place like this.

"I've played at some cricket grounds around the world, but this place tops the lot."

England have named all their recent arrivals in the side to play Otago, opting to leave out Foster, the injured Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard.

Trescothick will open the batting with fourth Ashes test hero Mark Butcher, after which most of the batting responsibility will be shouldered by Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe, Usman Afzaal and Andy Flintoff.

Paceman Andy Caddick begins his test countdown and will share the new-ball with James Ormond, leaving the spin duties in the hands of Richard Dawson.

Otago have included ODI rookie Brendon McCullum, who comes back into the side at the expense of Andrew Hore.

England: Marcus Trescothick (capt), Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe, Usman Afzaal, Andy Flintoff, Craig White, Warren Hegg, James Ormond, Andrew Caddick, Richard Dawson.

Otago (from): Craig Cumming (capt), Robbie Lawson, Simon Beare, Chris Gaffaney, Brendon McCullum, Craig Pryor, Martyn Croy, Nathan Morland, Rob Smith, James McMillan, Kerry Walmsley, David Sewell.