MICHAEL Atherton and Mark Taylor were Ashes captains when spinner Dean Cosker was enjoying his first full season in Glamorgan ranks.

In 1997, a year after his debut, the left-armer was given an extended run in the Welsh county’s side while Robert Croft was on duty against the Australians alongside the likes of Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain, Andy Caddick and Devon Malcolm.

Eighteen years on it could be Cosker strutting his stuff out in the middle when the Ashes gets under way in Cardiff after the 37-year-old was named as England’s 12th man for the first two days of the opening Test.

The veteran is currently out of Glamorgan’s County Championship side with Andrew Salter currently in action in the Division Two match at Derbyshire.

However, Cosker is a mainstay of the Twenty20 side because he has lost none of his athleticism to go along with his wily slow bowling, fielding abilities that have earned him the nod.

“Cardiff is where I’ve played all my professional cricket so it’ll be a nice touch,” said Marshfield-based Cosker, who has previously done the job at Old Trafford and Lord’s.

“I think (Glamorgan chief executive) Hugh Morris holds my fielding in high regard so I was given the accolade.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the environment under new England coach Trevor Bayliss is all about and walking out in front of the Welsh public.

“You’ve got to enjoy the challenge and I know every inch of the SSE Swalec Stadium so I won’t be as nervous as I was at Lord’s!

“I’m looking forward to it even though it’s bitter-sweet because I’d like to have played in the Championship match at Chesterfield and tried to get the three wickets I need to get to 600 first-class wickets."

Cosker will be back in Glamorgan colours on Friday in their crucial NatWest T20 Blast encounter with Sussex at Hove (7pm start) as Toby Radford’s side eye a place in the quarter-finals.