Simon Smith wants a long-term glove affair with the Saltires after making an impact during his controversial comeback at the weekend.
Grange player Smith surprisingly earned the nod ahead of Aberdeenshire namesake Colin for the Bank Holiday cricket double-header against Warwickshire and Kent in the FP Trophy.
The 29-year-old, who hadn’t featured in the side for two years, earned good reviews for his work behind the stumps and with the bat.
Smith scored useful lower order runs in both matches and claimed two sharp stumpings and a good catch against Kent.
Now he is hoping to get a stop-start career back on track with an extended run in the side.
Smith said: “I’ve wanted to get back in the team for a long time and I’ve been hungry and have worked really hard.
“When I did get the opportunity I was absolutely champing at the bit and hopefully I’ve done all right.
“I played with a lot of energy and I just did my best which is all you can do.
“You can never second guess what the selectors are going to do but as soon as you get your chance you’ve got to make the most of it.
“Obviously I hope I can hold on to the gloves for a while, but that’s not my decision.”
Smith’s performance at Canterbury won him many new admirers with former Kent captain David Fulton among them.
Fulton said: “He looked the real deal – it was one of the nimblest displays I’ve seen for a long time.
“Both his footwork and glove work were spot-on and he looked pretty useful with the bat as well.”
Smith believes the gloom has already lifted in the wake of Scotland’s failed World Cup qualifying bid last month.
He added: “I wasn’t in South Africa so I can’t comment on what was going on before but certainly the guys are saying things are moving in the right direction.
“We’ve put in two pretty decent performances when the only thing that has gone against us is the result.
“But if we can take all our chances and be a little more ruthless the wins will come.
“We have to keep coming at teams and be in their faces throughout every match.”
Smith looks certain to retain his place when the Saltires continue their FP Trophy campaign against Somerset at Taunton on Monday.