ADIL RASHID says a determination to be aggressive has left him feeling as good about his bowling as he has for years.

Yorkshire’s leg-spinning all-rounder impressed in last week’s County Championship draw against Durham at Headingley, taking 4-73 and 2-85 as the county fell just short of victory on the final day.

His first-innings return was his best at Headingley for four years, and it was the type of performance that left his captain Andrew Gale saying: “I’d have no hesitation in picking him for England.”

Rashid has not got near matching the 57 Championship wickets he took in 2010. In the last two seasons, he has not got near matching the 39 four-day wickets he took in 2011.

He has only taken 18 wickets in nine matches this season, but there have been encouraging signs at a time when England are searching for a viable spin option in Test match.

Moeen Ali played the first three Tests of the summer as the main spin option, although Lancashire’s Simon Kerrigan has been called up for the second Test against India at Lord’s tomorrow despite not having pulled up any trees this summer.

“I’ve felt better this season,”

said Rashid, 26, who recently became a father for the first time.

“I’ve felt more attacking with the mindset of getting wickets. I’ve been able to be aggressive and if you bowl a bad ball, you bowl a bad ball. I definitely feel in a better place this year than last year or the year before. Hopefully it can stay dry for some time and I get some more wickets.

“If I can carry doing what I’m doing and sticking to my game plan, I should have more good days than bad days. Sometimes it will go my way, sometimes it won’t.”

Yorkshire are in Championship action against Middlesex at Scarborough on Saturday.