NICK Browne admits he has been setting himself some lofty targets ahead of the start of the new season.

The Essex opening batsman has been in fine form over the off-season, scoring runs at the top of the order in Dubai alongside Alastair Cook.

Having scored more than 1,000 Championship runs in the last two years, he is now looking to smash that this year, despite playing two fewer games due to the new format.

And he feels that is what he needs to do to get in the reckoning for England’s Test selectors.

“It is a massive year for me,” he said. “I am 26 now and am in the peak of my career. I am not up-and-coming anymore.

“I want to push to the next level and if I do well England could be on the cards and that is where I want to be.

“I can’t wait for the first ball to be bowled against Lancashire.

“I want to score 1,000 runs every year and we have less games this year as well but we need to aim big if we want to achieve big.

“I have set myself 1,200 runs this season. Runs are so important. Tom Westley will say the same as well as the other top batsmen we have in our side.

“If you look at the likes of Ben Duckett and Keaton Jennings, they have got runs and they have got into the England side.

“I need to do the same and this is the year I need to prove I belong there.”

Browne scored a century alongside Cook during Essex’s tour of Dubai and he said it was a great experience for all at the county, ahead of the season opener on April 7.

And he said it would be great to play alongside Cook in the curtain-raiser, with Jimmy Anderson also set to play at the Essex County Ground.

“It has been great in Dubai,” he said. “The cricket has been good and it is great for team bonding. We stayed with about eight or so in a room and it was great for us all.

“We met (new signing) Simon Harmer out there and he would say the same. There is nothing better than getting to know each other, and we played some nice cricket too.

“It would be great if I get to play alongside Cooky in the first match,” he added. “There are so many good batsmen in this team that it will be a battle for sure.

“To open would be great and that is what I want to do. I am ambitious and we are now playing in the first division so we are playing at the level we want to and the level we feel we should be playing it.

“We are all excited to start.”