Dalrymple eager for Ashes chance

Jamie Dalrymple wants to add a Test cap to his one-day colours © Getty Images

Jamie Dalrymple, the England offspinning allrounder, is eager to help the team avoid an Ashes whitewash in Sydney. On a surface expected to assist the spinners, Dalrymple is in the mix to line-up alongside Monty Panesar as England try to stop the Australian juggernaut from claiming the first Ashes clean sweep since 1920-21.

Dalrymple was called up to the squad when Ashley Giles flew home to be with his ill wife during the Perth Test. He had been part of the Academy party based in Western Australia and has already impressed with gutsy displays early in his one-day international career.

"I'm desperate to play," he said. "If I get the chance to play at Sydney it would be superb. It would be great experience playing against a very good side."

He added that the retirements of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath will be used as an incentive during the final Test. "There are resilient guys here and they want to go out and win in the Test next week. There are a couple of retirement parties to break up and the team are burning to put down a marker."

Dalrymple would slot into the lower middle-order, which would take some of the pressure away from the out-of-form Andrew Flintoff, with Sajid Mahmood the likely man to make way if England opt for two spinners.

He made his ODI debut during England's poor summer of 50-over cricket and was a rare positive. In 14 matches he has scored 356 runs with two half-centuries while managing 11 wickets at 37 and Dalrymple believes the final Test can boost the form and morale of the limited overs team.

"There is a huge amount of the winter left. The Ashes Test series has been a huge disappointment but there is a triangular series against two very good sides [Australia and New Zealand] and if we can play well in that, we can look forward to the World Cup."