Hants lose Mascarenhas and Pothas

Dimitri Mascarenhas and Nic Pothas will play no further part for Hampshire this year

Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas and vice-captain Nic Pothas have been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.

Mascarenhas has only played once this campaign - on June 3 against Kent Spitfires in the Royals’ opening Friends Provident t20 game - due to an Achilles tendon injury which was sustained at the Indian Premier League in March.

A scan on the 32-year-old all-rounder’s tendon on Monday revealed that the injury is not responding to treatment as was hoped. It is now likely that he will require surgery which will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Pothas, who last played in Friday’s FP t20 game versus Middlesex Panthers, has developed a cartilage defect in his right knee.

He will undergo surgery on Saturday, which will be followed by an extensive period of rehabilitation to enable the 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman to begin the 2011 season.

Hampshire team manager Giles White said: “I’m obviously disappointed that Dimi and Nic won’t be available for the rest of the season; they’re two hugely influential players.

“On the positive side, this means there will be some opportunities for younger members of the squad, and Michael Bates will now get his chance to prove himself as a first-team wicketkeeper.

“The other players we have at the club have been playing extremely well recently – something that was reflected in our qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Friends Provident t20.

“I’m sure we can build on that and have a very successful second half of the season.”