Yorkshire's talented leg-spinner, Mark Lawson, has embarked on a hectic five months of cricket abroad which could help him to become a fully-fledged England player in three years.

The Liversedge-born bowler, 18, is spending three months in Adelaide under the watchful eye of former Australian Test player Terry Jenner, who is also coach to Shane Warne.

And Lawson has also been included in the England Under-19s squad to tour Malaysia and India in January and February.

Last July Lawson became the first student of the England and Wales Cricket Board's wrist spin development programme to make his first-class debut when he turned out for Yorkshire against Somerset at Scarborough.

On the same ground the following month he grabbed career-best figures of five for 62 during the Championship encounter with Durham.

Lawson is the leading student in the ECB programme which was set up in 1999 and aims to develop a wrist spin bowler to play for England by 2007.

His trip to Australia is being funded by the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust and Yorkshire but Lawson has volunteered to meet part of the costs.

"This shows how determined Mark is to continue his development and I am watching his progress with great interest," said Yorkshire's director of cricket, David Byas.

"It is also very pleasing that he should be selected for the England Under-19s tour and by the time he returns to Yorkshire in March he should have gained a considerable amount of experience."

While in Australia, Lawson is playing B Grade cricket for Adelaide Cricket Club and his aim is to push his way into the A Grade side.

Lawson is due to return from Australia on December 21 and eight days later he will leave for Malaysia, where England Under-19s will spend nine days before going on to India, where they are scheduled to play three Tests and three one-day internationals.

Durham's Ben Harmison (Durham) is also in the England squad.