FOR the second winter running, Kent’s 21-year-old off-spinner James Tredwell has been included on the 15-strong list for a place at the ECB’s National Academy.

The Ashford-born bowler and batsman missed out on a place last autumn, but his technically strong batting, good catching and improving spin bowling for Kent this season may yet seal him a berth this winter.

"Obviously I know most of the squad and there are some top young players on that list, but I’d like to think I have a better chance of making the cut this time around," said Tredwell, who now lives close to the St Lawrence ground.

"Last season I played mostly one-day games and only a couple of championship matches, so the academy selectors hadn’t seen much of me and had little to go on.

"This year I’ve been ever present, I’m that little bit more experienced and I don’t think, at the age of 21, it’s a bad effort for me to be our front line championship spinner.

"Now the wickets are drying out I’d like to think I’ll start taking a few more wickets and running through sides. As for the batting, I’ve been solid without going on to make a big score, that’s disappointing yes, but it’s not always easy when you’re batting with the tail."

In announcing his squad, ECB National Academy Director Rod Marsh, said: "Creating such a list allows us to concentrate our resources and to film, study and analyse these players in-depth, which will enable us to create individual programmes for them in advance.

"This is by no means an exclusive list and if other players perform well in the remainder of the season then they will also be considered for selection.

"Injured England players or other cricketers with international experience, not selected for next winter's England overseas tours, will also be considered."

The chairman of selectors will announce the final National Academy squad, with the England winter touring parties, at the end of the season before the Academy start their programme on Sunday, October 12.

For the first time, the party will be based at the new National Academy facility at Loughborough University and will then tour Malaysia and India in the New Year between January 26 and March 4.

Provisional list of Academy players: Kadeer Ali (Worcestershire), Simon Francis (Somerset), Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire), Will Jefferson (Essex), Shaftab Khalid (Worcestershire), Michael Lumb (Yorkshire), Tom Lungley (Derbyshire), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Philip Mustard (Durham), Graham Napier (Essex), Kevin Pietersen (Nottinghamshire), Matthew Prior (Sussex), Bilal Shafayat (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Graham Wagg (Warwickshire).