THE winter work indoors at Headingley is almost done and I can't wait to get outdoors in Barbados next week to see where I'm at.

Bowling indoors just isn't the same as outdoors. It's nice to get that feeling back in your legs. You've worked hard all winter on your game and you never really know where you're at until you get outside.

Sometimes you're behind where you want to be and sometimes you're miles ahead. I'm certainly hoping it's a case of the latter for me and that I've improved a lot.

I fly to Barbados on Sunday for both the ECB's North v South one-day series and then the MCC's four-day champion county match with Essex.

The Yorkshire lads headed off to South Africa on Wednesday, so I've been in for the last few days with the three or four senior Academy lads who are staying at home as well as Academy coach Richard Damms.

It's been quite nice actually, because you probably get more cricket than when everyone is in as a full squad.

Hopefully I can put in some good performances out there. Then those in charge at Yorkshire will see that and I should be knocking on the door to play in that first Championship game against Essex next month.

I've said to a few people that, as much as you want to go away with the Yorkshire lads, it will be quite nice to get away into an environment where you're not directly competing against players in your squad. But I accept that it's professional sport at the end of the day and everyone wants to be selected for the first game.

The four-day champion county game is especially good for me because, if I can get through that and bowl well, it should put me in a good place.

I only see it as a positive that I get an early look at Essex. The conditions out there will be completely different to England in early April but you can get an idea of opposition strengths and weaknesses. Some batsmen may have changed things over the winter, so you get to see that early on as well.

However, I might not release all my skills straightaway, so we can keep them guessing for Headingley if selected.

I've chatted a little bit to Tim Bresnan and Jack Leaning about North v South and what to expect after they played in the UAE last year.

There has also been information sent out from the ECB and it tells you who will be there backroom staff-wise. There's a lot very good coaches going.

All the indications are that it's going to be a stepping stone for the England one-day team and even the 2019 World Cup. If people get injured in that team, they're looking for replacements. This kind of tournament is a part of that.

It's obviously a tough team to get into, that England one-day team. But no-one should ever be thinking "I can't force my way into any team", especially if you have aspirations to advance your career. If you have that attitude, you probably won't go anywhere.

To me, I see them as better players than me – definitely at the minute. The standards they are setting are unbelievable. But lads in county cricket, including myself, are trying so hard to follow them.

If people start performing better than them, there's the way in. Hopefully I can start that journey in Barbados.

I'm certainly not going with the view that it's a pre-season warm-up thing. I want to hit the ground running and show what I can do. At the end of the day, if you can have a good game or two, you get that confidence and things can really start to happen.

I've been a couple of times before to Barbados but only when I was six and eight on cricket tours with Sheriff Hutton Bridge. I didn't play, though.

My eldest brother played on both tours and my middle one played on one of them. I was just on the sidelines playing with the school kids who came out to play from close by in their lunch break.

It was one hand, one bounce, that kind of thing. I seem to remember it being on a concrete tennis court. I can't see the pitches being the same this time. I'm familiar with the surroundings and it's cricket-mad out there.

Just finishing on Yorkshire matters. The club recently announced the signing of Billy Stanlake for this summer's T20 Blast and I think it's a great signing for our aspirations of going far in the competition. There's not many in the world at the minute who can bowl as quickly as he can.

To learn from him is going to be really good. I've heard a few comments such as "you'll be worried about your spot". Yes, it's competition, but if you're bowling well, you'll play in the team whether he's there or not. It's important to learn as much as possible from him.