Pietersen set for championship action

Kevin Pietersen returned to competitive action in Surrey's match against Cambridge MCCU last week and is now set to face Essex

England batsman Kevin Pietersen is set to take another step towards proving his fitness ahead of next week’s first npower Test against Sri Lanka when he features for Surrey in their LV= County Championship match against Essex at Whitgift School.

Pietersen has been selected in a 12-man squad for the Division Two clash, having returned to competitive action against Cambridge MCCU last week.

The 30-year-old batsman had previously been sidelined after undergoing surgery on the hernia injury that forced him to return home early from the World Cup.

However, Pietersen has frequently spoken of his determination to attain full fitness ahead of England’s international summer and appears on course to be available for the first Test in Cardiff, which gets underway on May 26.

Surrey will be without Jade Dernbach for this week's match, which begins tomorrow, after the pace bowler was selected in the England Lions squad for their game against Sri Lanka at Derby.