Liam Plunkett has become a white-ball specialist for England in recent years but insists there is no greater satisfaction in the game than a Test match victory.

“There’s no better feeling than winning a Test match,” said Yorkshire’s right-arm quick, speaking at Appleton CC in Warrington as part of NatWest CricketForce. “To be in that environment for five days – it’s like a chess battle, session after session – and then win a Test match is the most rewarding experience. That’s the advice I would want to pass on to any aspiring young cricketer – to try and pursue that.

“I can also see the other side, of youngsters being excited by T20 around the world, wanting to play reverse sweeps and flip it over the keeper’s head, but I’m hoping that they still see the traditional side of things and want to play that.”

“When I grew up in Nunthorpe, people didn’t really care about cricket,” he says. “A few lads at school played club cricket but not a lot of people cared. We played some Kwik Cricket at school – with the blue stumps and all that – but most people fobbed it off because they’d rather be doing other stuff.

“The good thing with All Stars Cricket is they’re getting to the kids at a younger age, before their teenage years. If you can get a bat or a ball in the hands of a kid and they’re happy to play anywhere – in the park, at the local club or at the beach – then hopefully they kick-on from there. It looks like All Stars Cricket is really getting the next generation involved.”

Liam Plunkett was speaking during NatWest CricketForce at Appleton CC. Now in its 18th year, NatWest CricketForce has grown into one of the largest sports volunteering initiatives in the country, helping to secure the future of cricket as the game for all, with over 2,000 local clubs registering this year. Find out more at natwest.com/cricket