Joe Denly puts World Cup disappointment behind him to focus on Ashes

Joe Denly has put his World Cup disappointment behind him to focus returning to England's ranks for the Ashes.

Denly, who was cut from England's squad for the tournament starting on Thursday in favour of left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, has returned to the County Championship as acting Kent captain in place of the injured Sam Billings. And it is there that he is determined to make his case for a return to the England Test team to face Australia in August and September.

"Before I got the call, I knew that was an avenue they could take and I was fully prepared for it," Denly told BBC Radio Kent of his omission. "Liam Dawson is a fantastic cricketer and deserves his selection.

"There's no point in me moping around. I've got to get on with it now and I'm looking forward to putting in some performances for Kent and getting some County Championship runs under my belt.

"There's a lot of cricket between now and the Ashes, so my focus now is performing well for Kent and if that happens, hopefully the Ashes selection will take care of itself."

Denly made his only two Test appearances during England's winter tour of the Caribbean, making scores of 6, 17, 20 and 69. He was named in a preliminary 17-man squad for the World Cup as a possible back-up spin bowler but returned unremarkable figures - albeit from limited opportunities - during matches against Ireland and Pakistan before England settled on their final 15 for the global tournament.

Despite his disappointment, Denly remained positive about the hosts living up to their billing as favourites to lift the trophy.

"That England white-ball team is a special side and the country should be excited about their chances at the World Cup," he said.

Denly, who also played in the BBL and made one IPL appearance this year, said he had no regrets over his "long-haul" winter or his continued desire to perform in the world's leading T20 competitions.

"I would have liked to play more cricket for sure, but it has been great to be involved in the IPL, BBL and with England," he said.

Denly had scored 20 and taken one wicket during Essex's second innings when rain halted play on day three of their Championship match at Chelmsford on Wednesday.