Florida visit boosts Turner hopes

Mark Turner hopes to break into the Somerset team this summer

Somerset bowler Mark Turner believes this summer could see him break into the first team at Taunton.

The 24-year-old, who has played for England at under-19 level, says he has got his best chance yet after spending the winter on a development scheme.

"I am now fitter than I have ever been at any time in my life," he said.

"What I am doing with the ECB programme will put me in a brilliant place to start the new season from and I am looking forward to that now."

Turner joined Somerset from his native Durham at the end of the 2006 season and made his debut the following year. Despite several impressive performances since then, he has struggled to hold down a regular first team place.

There will be fierce competition for places, but I am the only young fast bowler on the staff

Mark Turner

He returned to England on 22 December after spending a month out in Florida with several other promising young pacemen as part of the ECB Elite Fast Bowler Development Programme.

He is now spending two weeks at the England Academy where he is working under the watchful eye of ECB fast bowling development programme coaches Kevin Shine and Neil Killeen.

"My Florida experience was really worthwhile. We were training three times a day and I really can see the benefits of training like an elite athlete for a month," he said.

"It was pretty tough out there and we started each day at 7am with a pre-breakfast session. We did a further two hours before lunch and two more during the afternoon.

"It was a good mix of weights, speed and agility so with the facilities and the climate it provided for everything we needed and I feel very much better for it.

"We didn't do any bowling out in Florida because it was just to get us fit, which it certainly did. The aim was to get us to our peak fitness after the months training."

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Can Turner break through?

Turner will be heading to India at the beginning of February where he will be working with Australian Test bowling legend Dennis Lillee.

"The ECB are looking to the group to provide the next young fast bowlers to get into the England Lions and ultimately the full England side, so the coaches will be keeping an eye on us throughout the season and working closely with the Somerset management."

"I am looking to feature in all forms of the game and feel that I showed potential last year and now believe I can be a first team regular and make the difference for Somerset in 2009."