But they are well placed to end that drought, with a Guinness Premiership play-off place virtually booked ahead of tomorrow's European Challenge Cup semi-final against Sale Sharks at the Recreation Ground.

It has already proved a significant week for Barkley, who saw a court case pending against him of causing actual bodily harm dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following a hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court on Tuesday.

The decision, made due to a lack of evidence, lifted a huge weight off Barkley's shoulders. The episode had been hanging over him for nine months.

Former England head coach Brian Ashton opted not to consider him for Six Nations duty while the lengthy legal process continued, but a place on the two-Test summer tour of New Zealand now appears an attainable prize.

Barkley said: ''It is great to know that I am now under (England) consideration, as it was a grey area before.

''It would be so good to win some silverware for Bath, and then, if I can get to New Zealand, that would be awesome.''

The England squad is due to be announced on May 13, by which time Bath could be preparing for a Premiership semi-final and Challenge Cup final in Barkley's farewell season before he joins their west country rivals Gloucester.

Barkley added: ''We have been in these positions before and not won, but I think the difference this year is that we have a stronger belief in ourselves now.

''I have been chatting to Steve Borthwick (he joins Saracens this summer).

''There is nothing that we want more than to turn up at Twickenham for the Guinness Premiership final, with the title at the end, and know that we have done as much as we could to bring it home.

''It has been a great 10 years for us at Bath, so to get something at the end would be really nice.''

Barkley is partnered in the Bath midfield by Alex Crockett, who replaces Tom Cheeseman despite Cheeseman scoring a hat-trick of tries against Worcester last weekend, while full-back Nick Abendanon also returns.

Sale will be without injured international quartet Mark Cueto, Magnus Lund, Sebastien Chabal and Jason White for the trip south, while centre Lee Thomas has started serving a 14-week ban imposed for striking Bath's Shaun Berne during a Premiership match last month.

Sharks rugby director Philippe Saint-Andre admits qualification for next season's Heineken Cup is paramount.

Sale currently feature in a tense fight for the Premiership play-off places, although the Challenge Cup represents an alternative European route as its winners are guaranteed a Heineken place.

Saint-Andre said: ''Our target is to win the Challenge Cup to secure our qualification for next season's Heineken Cup, because to do that through our finishing position in the Premiership may prove difficult.

''And winning the Challenge Cup would be a great achievement in itself, although perhaps we would have preferred the semi-finals being played on a home and away basis.

''We know it will not be an easy task as Bath are a team in top form at the moment, but what we want is to get back into the Heineken Cup.''

Bath:
15. Nick Abendanon
14. Andrew Higgins
13. Alex Crockett
12. Olly Barkley
11. Matt Banahan
10. Butch James
9. Michael Claassens
1. David Barnes
2. Lee Mears
3. Matt Stevens
4. Steve Borthwick (c)
5. Danny Grewcock
6. Jonny Faamatuainu
7. Michael Lipman
8. Chris Goodman

Replacements
16. Pieter Dixon
17. Duncan Bell
18. Peter Short
19. Zak Feaunati
20. Mike Baxter
21. Shaun Berne
22. Tom Cheeseman