Liam Plunkett is itching to show just how much he has progressed since his last international match more than two years ago.

Plunkett, like the rest of the England squad, was confined to the team hotel today as rain ensured a frustrating washout at The Wanderers, where the first instalment of the five-match one-day international series with South Africa was scheduled to take place.

The 24-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder, who was already in the Test reckoning this winter but also called into the ODI party as cover for the injured Stuart Broad, must therefore wait until Sunday at least before he gets his chance.

Plunkett is on a mission to reclaim his place in both formats, having not featured since June 2007 at home to West Indies.

He admits he had to have a rethink about his cricket career during a hiatus which also saw him battling to remain in Durham's first-choice XI while they were winning their maiden county championship in 2008.

Plunkett has returned with a vengeance in a second successive title-winning campaign for his county, and has since been rewarded with his recall to England's touring squads.

That, though, is far from the end of the story as far as he is concerned.

"I want to be pushing to play, in the one-dayers now as well as the Tests," said Plunkett, who has so far featured in 27 of the former and nine of the latter.

"I don't want to be carrying the drinks."

Plunkett's learning curve was not always easy, and in the end it was honesty with himself which helped him back in the right direction.

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"After I got dropped from the England team, I was struggling for a year," he acknowledges.

"I knew it wasn't really good enough and I had to do something about it.

"I told (Durham coach) Geoff (Cook) I was struggling and I knew I wasn't bowling well enough to play - to keep others out.

"It was a year too long really. I knew that couldn't go on.

"But I think I grew up a lot in that time."

The remedy centred first of all on straight talking, and then some straighter thinking too.

"I focused more on trying to get people out, rather than worrying about my action or maybe bowling a wide," he recalls.

"I've definitely started enjoying it a lot more in the last year.

"It's the new Liam Plunkett, and I want to show what I can do."

While Plunkett's patience is unlikely to be tested for too much longer, South Africa too were left kicking their heels in the rain today.

Coach Mickey Arthur admitted: "It is very frustrating. We were looking forward to getting stuck into the series.

"We felt we picked up good momentum in the Standard Bank Pro20 Series, and our players are raring to go."

Meanwhile, Chris Nash is to return home from England's Performance Programme, in Pretoria, to have surgery on a thumb he fractured in practice.

The Sussex batsman will not be replaced in the squad, which is due to stay in South Africa until December 17.

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