Warne set to return

Shane Warne is expected to play against Worcestershire

Hampshire captain Shane Warne is expected to return for the County Championship Division One match against relegated Worcestershire at Kidderminster.

The Australian leg-spinner missed Hampshire’s championship defeat to Surrey with a suspected broken rib but a scan showed just a muscle tear. Warne is likely to replace veteran slow bowler Shaun Udal.

Hampshire will again be without England trio Kevin Pietersen, Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas and are facing the prospect of losing Mascarenhas for the rest of the season.

Pietersen and Tremlett are part of the World Twenty20 squad which flies to South Africa next week and Mascarenhas could join them if England need to replace Andrew Flintoff or Ravi Bopara, who are both carrying injuries.

Gareth Batty will captain the Worcestershire team as regular skipper Vikram Solanki is unavailable due to being on England duty for the ICC World Twenty20 which begins next week.

Daryl Mitchell will make his third championship appearance of the season after being named at the top of the order to partner Stephen Moore, with Moeen Ali coming in to replace Solanki at three.

Roger Sillence and Ray Price are recalled to the side which lost to Durham last week, with Kabir Ali and Dewald Nel missing out - the latter joining up with Scotland.