RICHARD Jones admits he was shocked to be named in the England Performance Programme squad just 12 months after almost being consigned to the Birmingham League by Worcestershire.

The 22-year-old pace bowler was told last autumn that he had to prove his worth over the winter just to earn himself a summer contract at New Road.

Now, after making the most of the injuries to key bowlers over the past summer, Jones has a chance to show how much he has improved on a bigger stage.

“Just after the squads were announced Matt Mason was on the phone telling me what a difference 12 months makes — I’m really chuffed,” Jones said.

“I was actually told during the last County Champion-ship match of the season against Durham.

“I was already on a bit of a high as I had just scored my first half-century, but it was a complete shock.”

Before last winter, Jones was drifting towards a life in league cricket after failing to live up to his potential and seemingly not wanted by Worcestershire unless he could prove his worth.

“I lost my way before that jolt,” Jones said. “I didn’t have the right attitude, I did did not have the right approach.

“I went away and worked hard over the winter, got my focus back and the aim is to work even harder this winter and improve on this past season.”

Jones collected 22 wickets for Worcestershire in seven Championship matches this year and had the best strike-rate of any bowler in the squad.

The academy product, a former England Under 19 international, will now attend training camps at the National Performance Cricket Centre at Loughbrough University before heading off to South Africa in the new year.

“It is something that I’m really looking forward to,” Jones said. “I was named in the England Under 19 squad to tour Bangladesh in 2005 but I came home injured.

“Then I was picked to go to the Under 19 World Cup, but I didn’t recover in time. Now, hopefully, this is the next step for me.”

Jones has been classed as a category ‘C’ player in the EPP 41-man squad, which means the player is likely to be a little younger with less first-class experience, many have been part of the ECB Elite Player Development Programme.

The EPP squad also consists of category ‘B’ players, who are believed to be one to three years away from the England squad, of which former County youngster James Taylor has been placed, while former New Road opener Stephen Moore is in category ‘A’ — closest to graduating to the full side.