Earliest cricketing memories: I remember playing cricket with my dad but the moment I knew I wanted to be a professional cricketer came in 1993. It was the NatWest final at Lord’s when Warwickshire beat Sussex in that amazing game. It really caught my imagination and was really a key moment for me. England didn’t seem to win much at the time but Warwickshire were winning everything. I wanted to play for them from that moment.

Warwickshire: I feel very lucky. A few years after watching my heroes play at Lord’s I was sharing a dressing-room with them. Playing alongside Dominic Ostler, Andy Moles and Dougie Brown was intimidating at first but they were very supportive and I soon felt at home. Obviously there have been ups and downs along the way but it’s fantastic to see the club getting back to the way it should be now. I don’t ever want to play for another club and I’d like to captain it one day. Maybe that will have to wait until my England career comes to an end but I’d like to leave a massive mark on the club and help it achieve huge success.

Breakthrough: The innings the other day [199 v South Africa at Lord’s] feels that way. Maybe in the past I’ve been guilty of trying to bat the way other people thought I should. But that innings was the real me. After the double-century against Gloucestershire I had the confidence to play my natural game and batted the way I knew I could. They were similar innings. I felt fluent throughout and hope I’ve silenced my critics now. Batting for that length of time is a massive confidence boost and, now I’ve proved I can do it against a very good South Africa attack, I feel confident I can do it again.
 The other obvious breakthrough came in 2004. I made a lot of runs, including my first double-century [against Sussex at Horsham]. I played pretty well earlier in that week against Shropshire and just carried on at Horsham. That period gave me a huge amount of confidence and helped proved to myself that I was good enough.

Highs: The summer of 2004. Winning the championship with Warwickshire was fantastic. It was no fluke - we played good cricket all summer long. And it was brilliant from a personal point of view as well. Apart from that first double-century [against Sussex at Horsham] I hit a century in each innings [against Lancashire at Old Trafford].

Lows: You only have to go back a few weeks for that. I was getting quite a bit of stick and times were pretty hard. It was the first time in 18 months that I’d had a series where I hadn’t scored the runs I should have and I knew the competition for places was growing. I tried to keep believing in myself but it’s quite tough to deal with. I don’t really read the papers but you can’t help but hear about what people are saying. I’ve very mixed emotions about the summer of 2005 too. I was part of a team that won the Ashes, which was amazing, but I knew I hadn’t scored the runs I should have done. I was only 22 and knew it was part of my learning experience but I did feel I could have contributed more.

Limited-overs cricket: I guess I’ve a few questions left to answer in limited-overs cricket. My record’s not bad but I can do better. I’m desperate to bat at three for four [for England] but obviously I’ll fit in with what is best for the team and if that means opening the batting, so be it. Generally I think I just need to play my natural game but there are times when you need to be more aggressive. But, whatever happens, I’d like to bat in the same position all the time. It is a massive advantage if you can learn your role and how to read the game from that position.

Best bowlers: The best two are Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. They were brilliant at creating pressure and give absolutely nothing away. In terms of pace there are a few who can be tricky on their day. Shoaib Akhtar, in Pakistan, was seriously quick and there were times when it was hard to pick the ball up. Brett Lee is another who is always fast. And, on their day, Fidel Edwards and Shaun Tait are very quick. In county cricket I’ve always thought Jason Lewry and Mushtaq Ahmed were quality. Mushtaq creates a wicket-taking environment and, if the ball is swinging, Lewry is very dangerous.

Indian Premier League: Given a window [in the international] schedule, I’d love to play. I wasn’t sure I’d take to Twenty20 when it started but it’s grown on me. Besides, you’ve got to be realistic: it’s where the money is. I hope the England players can take part. We’ve the Twenty20 World Cup coming up next year and it would be helpful to play as many high-quality games as we can.

Career outside cricket: I’ve no idea. I probably wasn’t good enough to be a professional footballer but I’d definitely like to have done something within sport. Maybe I’d have done a sports science degree at university? Had it not been sport then I just don’t know. My brother is training to be an actuary at the moment but I can’t imagine I’d be much good at that. Thinking about it just makes me realise how lucky I am to be playing a sport I love.

Playing for England at Edgbaston: It’s the game I look out for. It’s not just because it’s my home ground – there really is a special atmosphere at the place. Maybe it’s because there are a couple of stands that are right on the pitch but there always seems to be an incredible noise. The atmosphere during the Ashes Test of 2005 was incredible..
n There are still a few tickets available to watch England play South Africa on the first day of the third npower Test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on July 30. For more information go to www.edgbaston.com/tickets or call 0870 062 1902