I have never enjoyed playing so much

Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen has settled quickly at Trent Bridge

A month into the campaign he found himself walking through the Long Room and out on to the most famous cricket field in the world.

"The night before we played Middlesex I went for a walk around the ground with Paul Johnson. I said to him that I could not believe I was going to play at Lord's," said the 6ft 4in all-rounder.

"I also told him that I had a really good feeling about the game."

The following day he scored his maiden first-class century and went on to reach 165 not out. In the second innings, with Notts chasing a declaration, he walloped 65 in 47 balls.

That included a spell of three sixes in four balls off Paul Weekes, one of which ended in the upper tier of the Tavern Side.

"It really was an absolute dream," he recalled.

"It is every cricketers dream to play at Lord's. It may be taken for granted when you have been playing county cricket for several years, but for me to play there for the first time and score my first hundred was just awesome. I felt so emotional.

"I had spoken to Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener about the place and they had told me about the sense of history that surrounds it."

He has scored that century and three fifties in 10 Championship innings at an average approaching 60.

It is an indication of his talent and the bright future that Notts believe is in store.

Pietersen's bowling has been less successful

Less successful has been his off-spin.

"I need to bowl more. At the moment I am more of a batsman who bowls," he said.

"Clive Rice recently said to me that I need to work on my bowling.

"As a spinner I am still very young, very immature - you don't usually mature as a slow bowler until your late 20s. But the quicker I mature the better.

"Mind you so far there has not been an inch of turn at Trent Bridge!"

The winter before last Pietersen played for KwaZulu-Natal against England.

A undefeated half-century and four wickets in England's only innings add up to the best all-round display of his career. He bowled England captain Nasser Hussain and managed the rare feat of having Michael Atherton stumped.

His ambitions now lie in joining those ranks, although by the time he qualifies in four years Michael Vaughan, another of his victims in Durban, is a more probable team-mate.

"It is the dream of every South African to play in that green cap," said Pietersen.

"But now I have thrown my lot in with England. I am committed to playing for England.

"If I did go on to wear the blue cap I would be just about the happiest bloke around.

Pietersen celebrates removing Vaughan in Durban

"But I am not thinking about that at the moment - I have four years before I can start seriously considering playing for England."

To qualify he has to spend 210 days of every year for four years in Britain. It means he will stay in Nottingham until November, whereupon he will return to the warmth of South Africa to play club cricket and indulge in one of his favourite past-times.

"I love watching wildlife. I find it so relaxing, driving through the bush looking for lions, leopards or elephants," said Pietersen.

"If only England had the African heat and wildlife. That would be just brilliant."