CHAIRMAN of selectors David Graveney has revealed England have been closely watching Hampshire's Dimi Mascarenhas and Chris Tremlett - thanks to Shane Warne.

Bristol-based Graveney was at the County Ground on Saturday to watch the two players finish on the losing side against C & G Trophy holders Gloucestershire.

Mascarenhas and Tremlett put on 60 runs for the ninth wicket, a Hampshire record in the C & G Trophy, before doing their best to pull off a third round victory with the ball.

Gloucestershire slipped to 138-7 thanks to a four-wicket burst from Warne, but eventually eased into the quarter-finals and a home tie with Middlesex.

Mascarenhas and Tremlett, pictured left, are two of the leading wicket-takers in the county championship's second division this season - Mascarenhas is top of the averages with 25 wickets at 10.56, while Tremlett is eighth with 17 victims at 17.19.

Only Durham's Mark Davies (36) and Somerset's ex-England star Andy Caddick (27) have taken more second division wickets than Mascarenhas.

Hampshire skipper Warne has not been shy to push either Mascarenhas' or Tremlett's claims for an England call-up.

Graveney, who is one of four England selectors, said: "Between us we've seen plenty of them this season.

"They've both been in very good form and we've had some messages from Shane that Chris Tremlett is much fitter thanks to his work during the winter, which I knew Paul Terry wanted him to do, and that has been reflected in his performances.

"He's never going to be really quick, he's more of an Angus Fraser type bowler.

"But it's good to have England-qualified players pressing their claims, and Mascarenhas has been effective with bat and ball this season."

Meanwhile, Graveney refused to comment on the decision to drop John Crawley last year.

The former Hampshire captain was omitted from the Test scene after the Ashes defeat of 2002/03, and claims no-one from the England set-up has ever told him why he had been left out.

Graveney said: "What I would say to John Crawley is between me and John Crawley, but it's up to every England batsman to score as many runs as