Ed Barnard has set his sights on challenging for a regular spot in Worcestershire's LV = County Championship side next season.
The all-rounder played in every white ball game last summer – his breakthrough year into the senior team.
In addition, he played in four LV = CC matches, making his debut in that format alongside his close friend Joe Ckarke against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl and claimed his first scalp in dismissing Liam Dawson.
But Barnard is keen to play more four-day cricket and is working on building up his body strength this winter, with the aim of adding a yard of pace to his bowling, rather than returning for another winter of grade cricket in Australia.
He said: "I definitely want to become a regular in that format. That is the aim for next season. My main aim will be to establish myself in that side if I can.
"I think this season we were only playing three seamers for a lot of the time and Joe Leach, Jack Shantry and Charlie Morris were all taking over 50 or getting very close to 50 wickets.
"You have just got to bide your time and be patient. But I was really happy when I did play and that is the aim for next season, to play as much as I can in that stuff (LV = CC) because that is the stuff ultimately that gets you noticed."
Barnard, who played for Queaybeyan District last winter, added: "Do I need to improve to become an LV = CC regular? The main area is to try and get a bit physically stronger.
"I'm working with Ross Dewar (strengthening and conditioning coach) this winter and hopefully that will give me an extra yard of pace and help me to take a few more wickets next season and help the other lads.
"That is a big reason why I haven't gone back abroad to play again, to work here with Ross. We are a week or two into the hard physical sessions which I am really enjoying.
"All the lads who have done it before say it is fantastic for you and at the end of the six months you see the improvements and how good an S and C coach Ross is.
"You've got to put in the hard yards to improve. I don't mind putting the effort in as long as I get the results at the end of it."
*We will be featuring a full interview in the next few days with Ed Barnard on the Worcestershire CCC website in which he reflects on his first season of first team cricket and his ambitions for the future.
