Recardo Gordon intends to force himself into first-team contention at Warwickshire next season – and make the most of an opportunity which he admits is a “childhood dream come true’’.

Fast-bowler Gordon has signed a summer contract with the Bears after impressing with the 2nd XI and in the Birmingham League with Moseley this year.

He has his work cut out to fight his way through the considerable seam-bowling competition in the senior squad.

But the 20-year-old, whose family arrived in Birmingham from the Caribbean when he was seven years old, is loving the challenge.

“It is a great opportunity for me,” Gordon said. “I have wanted to become a professional cricketer all my life after coming over from the Caribbean because cricket is really big out there.

"I’ve loved cricket since I was a boy – it was a big family thing. No other sport is better than cricket in my eyes.

“So to get a chance with Warwickshire is a childhood dream come true for me.

“Now I just want to stay injury-free, get fitter and stronger, keep working with the bowling coach to improve my skills and, you never know, hopefully play a couple of first-team games next season.

“The coach has said he wants to rotate the bowlers and that has given me the impetus to think ‘why not’?

“Go out, train hard, keep learning and have belief in yourself that you can do it.

“The coach will probably want to rest the experienced guys so opportunities will be there and it’s up to me to grab them.

“I just want to enjoy my cricket and take a load of wickets in the 2nd XI to put myself in with a chance.”

Gordon first played for Handsworth Cricket Club before joining Moseley where he came to the attention of the Bears.

He has genuine pace and, if he can control it, then Warwickshire will have a very useful bowler in the mix.

“When I was younger it was all about pace but, while I always had a good ball in me, I was erratic,” he said.

“I have become more consistent now and a bit more skilful and accurate.

“Most of my wickets last year were caught-behind and bowled and that’s the only way you are going to get good players out.

“When I first went to Moseley I was in and out of the 1sts and 2nds and then I got injured and when I came back we had a really strong bowling unit so it was hard for me to keep my place in the team.

“But this year a couple of guys left so I became the lead seamer.

“That responsibility helped me and then also training with Graeme Welch at Warwickshire improved me a lot.

“Now I just want to push on and hopefully challenge for the first team.”

* Warwickshire duo Will Porterfield and Boyd Rankin will play for the ICC’s Combined Associate and Affiliate XI against England in a three-day practice match in Dubai starting on January 7.

The match is part of England’s preparation for the Test series against Pakistan, which begins on January 17. And Bears batsman Porterfield is delighted to have a chance to pit his wits against national captain Andrew Strauss.

The 27-year-old will lead a team of players selected from Ireland, Scotland, Namibia, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan.

“It will be a great honour for me to lead out the Associate and Affiliate team against the No.1 team in the longer format of the game,” Porterfield said. “If you look through their squad they are full of world-class cricketers and it will be a great test for us against whatever 11 they put out.

“Another challenge will be coming together as a group ourselves. We have played against each other a few times but we will have to gel pretty quickly in the few days’ preparation we have in order to put in a good performance.

“But as this is such a great chance for all the individuals to showcase their talent against the No.1 Test team in the world, I do not see this being an issue at all.”

For fast bowler Rankin, meanwhile, the match will provide an excellent opportunity to make an impression upon Strauss and England coach Andy Flower. The Irishman has expressed an interest in playing Test cricket for England and was selected for England Lions last year.

If Rankin can make Bears team-mates Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott hop about a bit in Dubai, it will only enhance his claim to elevation, at some point, to a full England squad.

Such a call-up would have a beneficial side effect for Warwickshire as, if selected at senior level for England, Rankin would become ineligible for Ireland, on whose behalf he has been called away from Bears duty at key times in recent seasons.