GARETH Batty, the 25-year-old off-spinner Yorkshire let go, will achieve his life-long ambition of playing for England if selected for the third Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

And if he makes it into the side it will be a treasured moment for his dad George, the only bowler ever to take 2,000 wickets in the Bradford League, and for brother, Jeremy, who played in 64 matches for Yorkshire and claimed 140 first-class wickets.

As reported in later editions of Saturday's Evening Press, Gareth, now with Worcestershire, is one of three new faces in the squad and his selection was strongly recommended by England captain, Michael Vaughan.

He has been an admirer of Gareth ever since the Bradford League product was first awarded a scholarship with Yorkshire as a 15-year-old and then joined the county club's Academy at Bradford Park Avenue.

Gareth, who won the Ernest Lodge Trophy for the most promising spinner in the Bradford League in 1993 and 1994 while with Keighley, played in one first class match for Yorkshire in 1997 when he was selected for the non-Championship Roses clash with Lancashire.

He claimed his first wicket by bowling Neil Fairbrother and in the second innings he dismissed Andrew Flintoff, now England's leading all-rounder.

After being released by Yorkshire later that season, Gareth went to Surrey and in September, 2001, he blasted the Lions to victory over Yorkshire Phoenix with his best one-day score of 83 not out.

A lack of regular first team opportunities resulted in him moving to Worcestershire at the start of last season and he has never looked back. Last winter he was a member of the ECB National Academy squad in Adelaide from where he was called up by England for the one-day VB series in Australia and he played in two of the matches, making his debut against Australia at Sydney.

Batty believes he has added new dimensions to his game since that tour.

He was informed of his call-up by his county coach Tom Moody ahead of Worcestershire's thrilling C&G Trophy semi-final victory over Lancashire at New Road.

Batty said: ""I'd like to think I tasted international cricket a little bit against Australia and I've got a few extra things in my game that are different now. The experience should stand me in good stead.

"South Africa have a strong batting line-up and their bowlers work hard, so they're obviously a very fine team.

"Will I be in the XI? I'll just have to work hard in the nets and see what happens there. Worcestershire team-mates Kabir Ali and Vikram Solanki played in the one-day teams this summer and this just follows on from that."

England lose two Yorkshiremen from the Test squad with the retirement of Darren Gough and the axing of Bradford-born Anthony McGrath but they gain two in Batty and Skipton-born Glen Chapple, the Lancashire seamer.

Updated: 10:33 Monday, August 11, 2003