A bustling fast-medium seamer and a powerful striker of the ball down the order, Liam Plunkett's selection for England's tour of Pakistan and India in 2005-06 represented the culmination of a two-year rise to prominence. Though he is yet to come of age as an England cricketer he remains part of the set-up and is a frequent participant in England Lions and England Performance Programme engagements.

Having made his first-class debut for Durham in 2003, Plunkett took on immediate responsibilities in the absence of Steve Harmison and the injured Mark Davies, and in 2005 took 50 wickets in a season for the first time. Not dissimilar to a young Harmison in build or bowling style, he also has the makings of a useful allrounder, as he demonstrated with a composed half-century in only his second one-day international against Pakistan. Earlier on that tour, following the withdrawal of Simon Jones with an ankle injury, Plunkett had made his Test debut as well, acquitting himself well in the midst of a thumping innings defeat at Lahore.

He was selected for England's Ashes campaign in Australia in 2006-7 and for seven gruelling weeks he was the forgotten man of the tour. But then - come the one-dayers - he seized his opportunity to impress with 12 wickets in the series, including 3 for 43 in the decisive second final against Australia. It was a performance that secured his World Cup passage, though he only played three games and lacked the incisiveness he had shown in Australia.

A lack of England engagements freed Plunkett up for his Durham duties, and in 2007 he played a role in their first domestic trophy triumph, in their sixteenth year of first-class status, taking three wickets as Durham won the rain-interrupted Friends Provident final by 125 runs at Lord's. A regular in England Lions squads, Plunkett spent a winter as the Dolphins' overseas player in South Africa in 2007-08 and shared in Durham's Championship success the following summer. Durham retained the title in 2009 and Plunkett was at the forefront of their success with 49 wickets in the season, including match figures of 9 for 149 in the innings win over Nottinghamshire that sealed the Championship.

Plunkett looked set for a second crack at international cricket when he was named in England's squad for their Test series against South Africa in 2009-10, but he was overtaken by the likes of Graham Onions, Stuard Broad and Ajmal Shahzad in the fast-bowling ranks and has had to be content with sporadic appearances since. He has time on his side, however, and a fully fledged international career could still be on the horizon.

Andrew Miller May 2011