Dawson is looking forward to playing more cricket when he quits rugby

Matt Dawson celebrated confirmation of his place in England's World Cup squad with a day at the cricket - his second sporting passion.

The Northampton Saints scrum-half, fresh from victory over France at Twickenham, was at The Oval cheering on England's efforts to level the series against South Africa.

He said: "I love my cricket but I just don't get enough time to join the local club or play as regularly as I'd like to so I tend to go out and watch."

Sometimes not early enough.

A late night celebrating the 45-14 win over France with his "partner in crime", club colleague Paul Grayson, led to Dawson rising late and reaching The Oval even later.

Having seen the highlights of Andrew Flintoff's 95 off 104 balls he appreciated that he should have tried harder to arrive earlier.

"It was a lazy morning and I missed Freddie but I wish I'd made the effort to get here - it was very special."

As are the opportunities Dawson gets to don the whites in a summer.

"I play as much as I can for the Bunbury's with David English which is fantastic fun.

"After the cricket you go out to a curry house until midnight, have a few beers and English tells stories you've heard a million times but they still bend you over double.

"It's just a really good environment to be in and it's great to get away from rugby."

Dawson's a firm believer in what he terms "emotional recovery", otherwise known as getting away from it all, and cricket allows him to do just that.

Rhodes - "a great, great player"

"I tend to keep wicket and bat a little bit but my hero is Jonty Rhodes. I worship the way he played cricket so, if I'm not behind the stumps, my forte is hanging around in the covers."

Dawson got the cricket bug from his father at a young age.

But having played in his youth at Marlow - "a beautiful little ground down by the river" - and for RGS High Wycombe - "a big cricket school" - he chose the oval ball over the red.

His first sporting passion has somewhat put the mockers on him playing his second ever since.

"Unfortunately rugby is so professional that I couldn't consistently play cricket every single weekend," he explains.

"Even 10 years ago rugby took up so much of my time I could never join a club, although that's something I'm looking forward to doing and having all the banter that goes with it.

"The rugby season doesn't finish until the middle of June and then we're back on by the middle of August.

"After two weeks on holiday that leaves a four-week block in the summer where I'll be on the phone to David English saying 'Come on, I'm ready, give me all the Bunbury kit'.

"It's good to totally switch off from your profession. It clears you and you go back a little bit more hungry and a little bit more refreshed and hopefully it does me the world of good."

With the World Cup starting in five weeks English rugby fans will be echoing those words.

And for his part Dawson will be hoping to match Flintoff's match-winning exploits against South Africa when Clive Woodward's men meet the Springboks down under.