LIAM PLUNKETT is fighting fit and has found some encouraging form ahead of a busy and exciting 2015 for his county and country.

The Yorkshire fast bowling all-rounder, who did not play any competitive cricket in 2014 beyond mid-July due to an ankle injury, is currently with the England Lions on their four-day and one-day tour of South Africa.

He impressed in their drawn two- match Test series against a strong South Africa ‘A’ side with seven wickets and a 50 before returning 1-23 and hitting a crucial 22 not out in a low scoring one-day win against the same opponents on Sunday.

It was the first of five one-day matches, with the second being played today.

With 17 senior England Test matches and a host of one-day internationals scheduled for this calendar year, as well as an LV= County Championship title defence with Yorkshire, there is no better time for Plunkett to be hitting his straps.

“I feel in decent all-round form to be honest, although I still think I can go up a gear,” said the 29-year-old from Middlesbrough.

“I don’t think I’ve bowled as quick as I can reach yet, but hopefully that will happen in these one-day games.

“I’ve managed to pick up a few wickets - I think I got the most of anyone in the four-day games.

“To come here - difficult conditions and a tough team we were playing against with some Test cricketers in there - has been good competition. It went okay for me.

I’m happy I got through with no issues around my injury from last summer.

“The physios here and with Yorkshire have been great, and everything’s gone well so far.

“I’ve done all the rehab and recovery I needed to do, and it’s seemed fine. I’ve bowled plenty of overs in the last couple of weeks, including when I played a bit before Christmas, so it’s been great.

“There’s a lot of Test cricket coming up, and injuries do occur, so you need to be ready to take that chance when it comes along.

“You need to cash in because you don’t want to be in and out of the team. It is competitive, which is what top level sport is all about.”

Although Plunkett made his return to Test cricket last summer following seven years away, he is still waiting to break back into England’s one-day team.

There was talk of selection for the early summer series against Sri Lanka, although that did not materialise. It is a format he is keen to play in.

“I’ve not played too much one-day cricket in the last 12 months or so," he said. “I only played a couple of T20s for Yorkshire last summer because of the Tests and stuff, so it’s going to be an exciting few weeks, and hopefully I can push my game forward and impress.”

Plunkett has been one of six Yorkshire players on tour, and that number will swell to seven when Tim Bresnan arrives for the second half of the one-day series later this week.

And it will be music to the ears of all White Rose fans to hear Plunkett say Jonny Barstow, Jack Brooks, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid have also shown signs of good form.

“It’s like a mini pre-season for the Yorkshire lads there’s that many of us here,” he added.

“We all seem to be in decent form, and hopefully we can take that form back to England with us.”