JIM Troughton jets off to Australia tomorrow with a massive endorsement of his ability from one of the world's greatest Test match cricketers, writes Mervyn Collins.

Sky Sports pundit, Ian Botham, writing in this month's Sky Magazine, predicts an elevation to the Test stage for the Stratford youngster.

"A winter at the Academy in Adelaide will be good for him and if he continues to progress I expect him to be pushing hard for a Test place this year," the former England ace declared.

"He was every young cricketers' hero when he was around and, if someone had said to me then that he would be saying things like that about me, then I would have laughed in their faces," a modest Troughton declared.

The former Stratford cricketer enjoyed a memorable summer with Warwickshire last season but has spent much of the winter at Edgbaston as he endeavoured to overcome a shin problem that curtailed his first-class season.

The 24-year-old was back at county headquarters on Monday for a final fitness test that finally allayed fears that the left-hander might miss out again after failing to make the earlier plane to Adelaide last October.

"I am not completely sure if the problem has gone away," he admitted. "It's still a little tender but I was given the all clear after a strenuous test and that was a relief."

Troughton will join the rest of the English Cricket Board's Academy squad for a six-week tour down under prior to a visit to Sri Lanka that will end on March 22.

Troughton, who helped the Swan's Nest Lane outfit win the Birmingham Premier League in 2001 before his amazing elevation to county success, has previous experience in Australia having toured Perth and Sydney with the Midlands Cricket Conference two years ago.

The recently married Edgbaston ace also enjoyed a successful time in South Africa last winter but Sri Lanka will be new territory for a player who is being tipped for Test selection by one of the game's all-time greats.

Another ex-England star, Graeme Hick, is the guest speaker when the series of Worcestershire Cricket Society Winter Evenings continue next Tuesday.

County captain until relieved of the post late last year, Hick has played 19 seasons at New Road and recently extended his current contract until 2006.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm in the Cricket Suite when entry is free to Society members and £2.50 to non-members.