JON Hurst and Mark Young are closing in on England honours after steering Lancashire to their 10th English County Championship.

Both East Lancashire golfers were joint top points scorers for the Red Rose as they coped best with the high winds and driving rain at Norfolk’s Hunstanton links course.

On the final day of the tournament, Lancashire clinched their second champion-ship in three years with a dominant 7½-1½ victory over wooden spoonists Worcester-shire, giving them the edge over closest challengers, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands.

Hurst, of Shaw Hill, and Clitheroe-based Young, the top amateurs in East Lancashire, both finished with 4½ points from six across three days of action.

And it is those performances, coupled with outstanding 2010 seasons for the duo, that has now been rewarded with recognition from England selectors.

Earlier this year, both told of their hopes for a national team call-up and now it is understood they will be invited to an England performance and training session at Burnham and Berrow, in Somerset, next month.

Although it does not mean they are yet part of the England team or its ‘A’ squad, the invite highlights they are in the minds of selectors.

“It was nice to get invited,” admitted Hurst, 25. “I’ve always wanted to play for my country.”

David Oldcorn, England ‘A’ squad manager said: “We will hope to invite a number of the victorious Lancashire squad to our performance sessions with the England side at various stages during the year.

“It’s nice to know that there’s some recognition for something that they have achieved last week.”

For Young and Hurst, Sunday’s success was the second time in three years that they had helped Lancashire to the county championship.

“It was nice to win it again,” said Hurst. “We knew what we had to do on the final day when it went to the singles.

“Conditions were tough. It was borderline non-playable, but we just had to fight it out.”