ROBERT HEWIT is heading into the unknown but the York cricketer is confident he can bat England’s Learning Disabilities team to victory when they face Australia next month.

Hewit is part of a 15-man squad that will travel out to Melbourne for the INAS International Cricket Series against the Oz ranks.

The series will consist of four one-day internationals and two T20 matches with the first clash getting under way on March 17.

It will be 20-year-old Hewit’s first tour with England and he confesses that the opportunity to line-up against the Aussies on their home soil is a dream come true.

“I grew up playing with my village club, Stamford Bridge, and I’ve played there since I was very young and know most of the people that go there,” Hewit said.

“But to travel all the way to Melbourne and experience a bit of Australian culture is a completely different experience.

“Australia are big rivals for us so I think it will be quite hard to beat them but I’m really excited about playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“Just imagining myself playing there gets me excited and I can’t wait to actually get going now. I will be counting down the days.”

The prospect of appearing in the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere represents just one experience of playing for England that Hewit believes makes all his hard work pay off.

Training for the international side, Yorkshire and for Stamford Bridge CC requires a lot of dedication but Hewit, who has limited reading and verbal skills, is more than willing to step up to the task.

And the former Archbishop Holgate’s School pupil feels balancing these commitments has allowed him to develop, not only as a sportsman, but also as an individual.

“I go to the gym three times a week because I know I have to work hard to keep up my fitness and make sure I am ready to play the best I can when it’s time,” added Hewitt.

“Sometimes my learning difficulties make it hard to communicate with other players and understand things that are going on but that’s improved the more I’ve played.

“I was a bit nervous when I first joined up with the England squad but now I felt really proud to be out there with my teammates.

“I’ve become quite a competitive person, I like winning and hopefully we’ll be able to do that against Australia when we play them next month.”

* ECB is an inclusive organisation providing support and a pathway for disability cricket from grassroots to elite. Follow the England Learning Disability squad in Australia at www.ecb.co.uk. To find out how to get involved in Learning Disability cricket contact your local cricket board.