Ross Whiteley is keen to make his mark in all formats of the game for Worcestershire and believes he has "a lot to offer" in LV = County Championship cricket as well as in the one-day game.
Whiteley has been included in the Worcestershire squad for the Championship match with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge beginning tomorrow.
He featured in the opening nine Championship games of last season but was then left out of the four-day side and made two appearances in the competition this summer so far – including the win over Somerset at New Road.
Whiteley has established a reputation as a big-hitting batsmen in white ball cricket – the latest example of which was his 41 not out against Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Friday – but wants to make an impact in the longer form of the game.
He said: "My four-day cricket last year was tough. I didn't score the runs I wanted to. I was working hard in the nets and feeling pretty good but it just wasn't coming off in games.
"I didn't get the chance to bowl as much as I would have liked and I think that put a bit of pressure on my batting to score those runs.
"I came through and came into the one-day side and having that freedom to go out and play your shots when you are struggling for runs helps massively and I think it showed with a few of the innings I played in that format of cricket."
Whiteley added: "Do I want to get back into the Championship side? Of course, you want to play every game of cricket you can.
"No cricketer wants to sit on the side-lines and watch someone else do their job, four-day cricket or one-day cricket.
"They are long days just sitting doing 12th man or stuff. It's always nice to get out there and play, be amongst the boys.
"I never want to pigeon-hole myself as one or the other (one-day or Championship) just yet.
"I know my strength probably lies in the one-day format but I think I do definitely have a lot to offer in the four-day arena as well."
Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes said: "Ross is a wonderful striker of the ball and a really exciting cricketer and he was a little bit unlucky to go out of the (Championship) team and that's testament to the young lads as well.
"Joe Clarke got a double century in the Seconds and a 75 in the second innings and that is what forced him into that team and sadly for Ross he's just been on the side-lines.
"It wasn't long ago that he got a fine century against New Zealand so he is knocking on the door and he is desperate for a chance.
"The great thing about Ross is, although he hasn't played in the last couple of championship games, there is no sulking from the lad.
"He knows if he can go in the second team and score plenty of runs, then he will get his opportunity – that is if the first team aren't scoring the runs.
"You can't just replace, you've got to find spots to actually replace."
