CHRIS Schofield is just two good performances away from a Test debut.

The 21-year-old Lancashire leg-spinner can cap a meteoric rise into the England side by impressing the selectors in the first two championship games against Kent and Leicester.

"I'm looking forward to it. I know what I've got to do and I feel confident," he said at Canterbury today where Lancashire were due to launch their First Division title bid with skipper John Crawley a major doubt after injuring his thumb on Monday while fielding. Mark Chilton was on stand-by to open with Mike Atherton.

"I thought I bowled well in the Benson and Hedges game against Leicester, and I've just got to keep that going."

It is an exciting time for the youngster who had appeared in only 10 championship matches before today, although there was no play before lunch, yet seems set for a long England career starting with the first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's on May 18. The squad is picked five days earlier. As the only contracted spinner, Schofield knows he has a great chance, but the selectors could bring in someone else if he failed to click in the next two weeks.

England however, are determined to get him into their Test side at some stage this season -- the earlier the better as far as some influential figures are concerned. Schofield looked in good shape in the B and H success over Leicester, taking 3-33 and that followed a brilliant England A tour in the winter. He will link up with the England squad for a training camp in Somerset the weekend before the Test.

Ian Austin, who earned the Gold Award in the B and H game on Monday, is playing for the second XI against Worcester at Old Trafford.

"He had some niggles on our pre-season trip to South Africa and we didn't think he was quite ready for a four day match," said coach Bob Simpson.