Peters returns for Northants

Stephen Peters will be back at the top of Northamptonshire's batting order after five weeks out with a broken thumb

Northamptonshire welcome back opening batsman Stephen Peters but face a wicketkeeping crisis for their LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Surrey.

Peters returns after five weeks out with a broken thumb. However, head coach David Capel could be missing both his first choice glovemen.

Ireland’s Niall O’Brien is on ICC World Twenty20 duty and Riki Wessels is doubtful. Wessels had to be rushed to hospital today for blood tests for suspected gastric flu.

Should Wessels not be available, Loughborough student David Murphy, on a summer contract at Wantage Road, will make his first-class debut.

O’Brien’s certain and Wessels’ likely unavailability will create top order batting opportunities for others, namely Mark Nelson and David Willey.

Surrey captain Mark Butcher could lead the same XI that drew with Glamorgan after professional cricket manager Chris Adams named an unchanged squad.

Adams told Surrey’s website: “We had two and half good days of action at the SWALEC and I thought we played reasonably well.

“We’ve got a few guys now who are starting to show that they’re in good form and our confidence is beginning to grow. It is the same squad of players from the last game and a lot of the guys have been together throughout the one-day campaign as well.

“It is also a massive bonus for us that we have Mark Butcher back in the squad. As well as scoring 65 runs and taking three great catches, the impact he had on the team was massive and it is a huge credit for him and our off-field medical team that he has been able to make his comeback.”