ALEX Horton is determined to force his way into the Glamorgan first team, hopefully with a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck.

The wicket-keeper from Newbridge is currently with England Young Lions in Sri Lanka for a five-match limited-over series that gets under way on Tuesday.

The tour, with matches and practice sessions in a bio-secure environment, is part of the build-up for the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean starting in January.

Horton impressed with his glovework, plus a 48-ball 53, when England took on the West Indies in a summer series.

Now the 17-year-old Glamorgan prospect hopes to thrive in the challenging conditions of Colombo.

“It’s building to the World Cup in January and it will be good to experience different conditions in a tough challenge against a good Sri Lanka team,” he said.

“I’ve toured South Africa twice and Barbados once but this is my first time in the subcontinent and the heat and humidity will have a big impact on us.

“As a group we want to win the series, see what works for us and what doesn’t, and bond as a team.

“Personally, I just want to build on what I did in the summer when I just went out there and played my game.

“I want to push myself in harder conditions to gauge what it will be like for the future when playing in places with similar conditions.”

The series is an important step towards January, when England will lock horns with the best young player in the game.

“The World Cup is a big incentive and it is in our minds because January is not long away,” said Horton, who is studying his A-levels at St Edward’s School in Oxford.

“We want to go out there and give it a good crack because we are really confident that the team we have got can do well, although we’ve not talked about it too much just yet.

“It would be class to go to the World Cup so that I can judge myself against players from across the board to see where I stand.”

The experience should enable Horton, who turns 18 in January, to go flying into the 2022 domestic season. Horton has played or Glamorgan seconds but wants to put the heat on the seniors.

“I’ve got to do well and keep pushing for my place in the first team squad,” he said. “A big goal of mine is to play in that first team, so this is a really good opportunity for me to go out there and show off my skills.

“It’s been really good so far and I have loved being in the professional environment. It’s been a dream of mine for a while to play professional cricket and when I got that chance to sign a contract I grabbed it.

“They have been really good with me and it’s good to experience the professionalism of the club, especially with Matthew Maynard and Mark Wallace, who have helped me out a lot at a young age.

“They have guided through my first year of my contract and it has been a great experience being with all of the players there, picking the brains of the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, David Lloyd, Hamish Rutherford.”