DESPITE rain robbing him of his chance to debut for England's disabled cricket team, Derbyshire's George Dutton remains positive about getting another chance.

Dutton had been selected to represent the England Physical Disability Select XI in a 20-over contest against the England Learning Difficulty XI at Chesterfield's Queen's Park last month.

But to his despair, the game was rained off.

"I am going to be speaking with the team manager to see if the match is going to be re-scheduled," said Dutton, who says he will ensure he is prepared if he is called upon again.

Coaches and players from Derbyshire Disabled Cricket Club will gather for a training session at Chesterfield on Thursday, a date which will give Dutton an ideal opportunity to stay in form and in the selectors' thoughts ahead of future competitive action.

Dutton's rise through the ranks in disability cricket has been rapid. He has only been playing for Derbyshire since June 2007, after becoming aware of the county's disabled team when they were mentioned in local newspapers.

Primarily an opening batsman, the 57-year-old has shown a willingness to bat lower down in the order for the sake of the team.

"Normally, I open the batting. But I have been batting at number three lately, so a few of the younger players can progress." he said.

Dutton considers himself to be a stroke-maker who is always looking to score runs.

"I like playing strokes around the field," he said.

But the Ashbourne resident also thrives in the field, occasionally contributing with right-arm spin bowling.

Dutton's roots in cricket stretch back to the 1960s, when he participated at various levels of the sport.

"I have played cricket all my life," he said.

In particular, he has happy memories of his time in social cricket with the successful Ashbourne team, Farmer's Sons.

But his cricket career was pegged back by an unusual parachuting accident which inevitably triggered a spell of inactivity.

"I had a broken ankle and leg and damage to my hip, spine and shoulder," he said.

In the aftermath of the accident, he was in hospital for more than two years, during which time he would endure 36 operations.

Even after coming out of hospital, his troubles continued, with his left leg and ankle having sustained long-term damage as a result of the accident.

"I spent six years in a wheelchair and had to use crutches. I still use crutches now.

"But I try to be positive and lead a busy life," he added.

He had to sacrifice playing regular cricket after the accident – before discovering the county's disabled team.

"Before joining Derbyshire, I hadn't played cricket for 18 years." he said.

Now he is eager to keep performing well for the fledgling county disabled side in the hope of remaining in the England set-up.

He described the time he spent on trial for the national side in Loughborough as his "finest weekend in sport".

And if he continues playing in the same form that led to his call-up, he could be experiencing even finer times as a cricketer in the future.