Lancashire opener Paul Horton has called upon cricket manager Mike Watkinson to give him the chance of playing more one-day cricket.

The 25-year-old batsman is leading the way with the willow in the County Championship again this year, having scored 752 runs in nine LV Division One matches.

But despite notching two hundreds and five fifties, the Sydney-born star has not yet faced the white ball in competitive action.

“I don’t get the opportunity to play one-day cricket, so I have to score hundreds in four-day cricket to force my way into that one-day side,” said Horton, who hit a season-best 152 against Yorkshire at Headingley in May.

“Opening the batting in four-day cricket for Lancashire, I can showpiece what I do.”

Horton, the club’s 2007 player of the year, has a brilliant record of just two single figure scores in 15 Championship knocks this season. He has also never had a duck in first-class cricket.

And it is such a record, on the back of 1034 four-day runs last season, that has put him in line for an England Performance Programme (Academy) call up this winter.

Lancashire team-mate Glen Chapple said: “He is one of the leading batsmen in the country at the moment. You just can’t argue with how he has played. Since he has come into the side his record is second to none.”

But Horton has only played 20 career one-day games, with a high score of 47 against Warwickshire in a Pro40 game at Edgbaston last season.

Even so, he still believes he can be a success in the coloured clothing: “Who knows? I don’t know, and I am not sure whether they (Lancashire’s management) know. I have never really been given an opportunity to play one-day cricket.

“In Pro40 last year I played four games and was involved in two 100 partnerships, but I haven’t played any one-day cricket this year.

“I think I can adapt. I also think I would enjoy it given the opportunity to play. I would love to adapt and enjoy myself a bit. I would love to not to have to grind out the new ball, I would love to have some fun.”

Horton may get the opportunity to play in Wednesday’s one-day friendly against Bangladesh A at Alderley Edge. Mal Loye will almost certainly play.