Daniel Worrall says he is fit and firing for belated Ashes audition with the Dukes ball in Perth

Ashes contender Daniel Worrall is bursting to showcase the secrets of Dukes ball swing learnt in a definitive stint with Gloucestershire last year.

• Smith to return in Adelaide — as coach
• Kane over and out in India
• Lehmann in line for coaching return

Ashes contender Daniel Worrall is bursting to showcase the secrets of Dukes ball swing learnt in a definitive stint with Gloucestershire last year.

Successive back injuries have restricted Worrall to 17 wickets in three first-class games this season. South Australian speedster Worrall is relishing his first Dukes ball Ashes audition this season against Western Australia in Perth starting Sunday.

“It is a boyhood dream and it would be for anyone playing at the moment. I am working day by day to realise that dream,” said Worrall.

“I just want to be the best version of myself if the opportunity arises in five or six months time.”

South Australian cricketer Daniel Worrall training this week. Picture: AAP Image/James Elsby

Worrall celebrates a wicket for the Melbourne Stars during the BBL. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Worrall’s maiden County stint was sabotaged by a foot stress fracture last May but not before banking 16 wickets in four games and invaluable lessons. Worrall is conspicuous in Australia for swinging the ball both ways at 140km/h but discovered less is more with the Dukes ball in England.

“I learnt so much in two months over there that I hadn’t learnt in five years of first class cricket in Australia. It is a different style of play, they line up differently, play the swinging ball day in day out so it is subtle variations, doing as little as you can as late as you can,” said Worrall

“It is just a different game.”

Chinwags with Gloucester assistant Ian Harvey and former Australian opener Chris Rogers fast tracked Worrall’s knowledge and bag of tricks.

“It is just having conversations at the club and trying it out at training the next day,” Worrall said.

Worrall took 34 Shield wickets last season but 24 at 24 in five matches after Christmas with the Dukes ball. The 27-year-old knows more of the same is required to grab national selectors’ attention with Jackson Bird (38 wickets), Chris Tremain (33) and Trent Copeland (29) pressing to back up Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson in England.

“It is always better to be talked about than ignored,” said Worrall, backed for an Ashes berth by Mitch Johnson.

“All you can do is take wickets, impact games. That is my plan,” said Worrall.

Worrall took a maiden 10-wicket match haul against the Warriors in November before the stress of 108 overs over five innings caused a second breakdown of the season.

“The back feels great. It was just a matter of coming back and doing too much too soon,” he said.