Benny Howell needs to follow the example of Gloucestershire team-mate Michael Klinger in his quest for a T20 international call-up.

That’s the view of head coach Richard Dawson, who has watched Howell develop into one of the most successful bowlers in the NatWest Blast competition.

Figures of two for 12 from four overs in the low-scoring victory over Kent at Canterbury on Tuesday night offered more evidence of the 28-year-old all-rounder’s ability to deceive batsmen with his innocuous looking medium pace.

Howell finished leading wicket-taker in last season’s competition with 24 and goes into tomorrow evening’s (Friday) clash with Somerset at Taunton already boasting nine victims in four South Group matches this summer.

Dawson said: “Benny has worked really hard on his bowling over the last few years and now has to keep building on each impressive performance if he wants to play for England.

“He has the perfect example in Michael Klinger. Maxy never gave up hope of representing Australia and kept producing form that eventually was impossible for the selectors to ignore.

“Benny has developed such a variety of deliveries that batsmen find it hard to line him up. His other virtue is that he bowls straight and gives nothing away.

“As he showed against Kent, he is also capable of making valuable runs. He batted really well on a pitch that proved trickier than it looked.”

Gloucestershire go into the Somerset game unbeaten, with two wins, a tie and a no result from their group games so far.

New overseas signing Thisara Perera proved his pedigree at Canterbury, recovering from an awful start with the ball, which saw his first four deliveries hit for boundaries, to finish with three for 31 from four overs.

Dawson was delighted with a bowling and fielding display that enabled his team to defend a modest total of 138 and win by eight runs.

It may well be an unchanged line-up against Somerset, with the head coach more than satisfied with what he has seen so far.

Dawson said: “We are not a team of superstars, but we have an effective bowling unit and a side full of players who understand their individual roles.

“David Payne has been excellent with the ball, as has Tom Smith, and we have managed to go unbeaten without Michael Klinger making a significant score.

“We know that will come and in the meantime the players deserve a lot of credit coming off the back of a tough couple of weeks at Cheltenham.

“It is always an enjoyable challenge going to Taunton, where we know we can expect a bit of stick. Hopefully, the weather will be okay and the match is worthy of the big crowd.”