Watch the second T20I in St Kitts from 7.30pm on Friday live on Sky Sports Cricket
Friday 8 March 2019 19:50, UK
Joe Denly is hopeful his performances in the Caribbean will lead to a place in the England's squad for this summer's Cricket World Cup.
Denly made his Test debut earlier this year and scored 30 off 29 balls in Tuesday's four-wicket win over Windies in the first Twenty20.
The 32-year-old also returned figures of 1-28 from three overs in the same match and believes his leg-spin could give him a crucial edge going into the summer.
"Being an all-rounder, my bowling has certainly added strength to my game and I think it was a big reason for my selection in these white-ball teams," he told Sky Sports Cricket.
"So that's certainly an aspect I'm enjoying and looking to develop; hopefully I can be a real chance for that World Cup squad.
"I go away to the IPL after this to test myself against the best players in the world; hopefully the England selectors will be looking at that as well."
Looking beyond his stint at Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kent batsman aspires to catch the selectors' eye ahead of this summer's Ashes series having scored his maiden fifty in the third Test against Windies.
"I'm hopefully in the mix," he said.
"There is obviously a lot of cricket in between now and the Ashes; I think it is just a case of me to keep performing in this shorter format for starters and then it's a massive summer ahead.
"I go off to the IPL after this and we'll see how that goes but then I think there's about five or six County Championship games before the Ashes and a great opportunity to score some runs there and make the selectors put me in that first Ashes squad.
"There's not too much chat about the Ashes just yet but there are very encouraging conversations with Ed [Smith] and Joe [Root] and Trev [Trevor Bayliss] about going forward, so hopefully I can continue my form and get in that Ashes squad, which would be a dream come true."
Denly's first taste of international cricket came in 2009 when he made the first of nine ODI caps but he was dropped following the ICC Champions Trophy that autumn.
It was the prelude to a lengthy struggle to regain international colours, something he achieved only once he'd rediscovered his love of the game.
"Strangely, not having England as my main focus [helped me return]," he said.
"I was very young when I had a taste of it way back then, early in my career, and getting dropped; for the next two or three years my focus was on getting back into the England side and my performances dipped.
"I moved away from Kent and went to Middlesex but still that desire to get back into the England squad was almost overwhelming and I found myself playing second-team cricket.
"I decided I needed to change something and enjoy my cricket again. Thankfully Keysy [Rob Key] came to me and asked me to come back to Kent and Middlesex were great in making that happen."
Watch the second T20I between Windies and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30pm on Friday.
