Nic Pothas WILL be fit to face top-of-the-table Notts at the Rose Bowl tomorrow - despite missing his first game of the season with an ankle injury yesterday.

Wicketkeeper Pothas had treatment for most of the afternoon while his Hampshire teammates were in the field against Kent after twisting an ankle while keeping wicket in the C & G Trophy defeat against Gloucestershire at Bristol on Saturday.

But he will be okay for Hampshire's biggest game of the season so far.

Manager Paul Terry said: "I'd have played Nic today at a pinch. He went over slightly on his ankle at Bristol but it's nothing serious."

Derek Kenway was Hampshire's gloveman yesterday, as he was for seven successive National League games in July and August of last year, but he will be free to concentrate on his batting tomorrow.

And John Crawley is ready to play his second championship game of the season after recovering from the knee injury he suffered on the second day of the opening match against Durham in April.

Lawrie Prittipaul is likely to make way for the former England man and captain Shane Warne will return in place of Billy Taylor as Hampshire make two changes from the side that beat Yorkshire at Headingley three weeks ago.

Terry, who will pick the final XI tomorrow morning, said: "This is a chance for us to pit ourselves against probably one of the stronger sides in the competition. They've played really good cricket after getting relegated last year.

"They signed very well during the winter and are going to be very competitive."

Notts will field a player who Terry and Warne know well in David Hussey, who won the Pura Cup with Victoria earlier this year.

"I know David Hussey from his Perth days, he's taken the brave decision to leave Western Australia and go to Victoria and he's had a golden year, scoring six or seven hundreds so far this year alone," said Terry.

"He's in a rich vein of form and is someone we'll have to nullify."

Michael Clarke flew in from Zimbabwe yesterday, enabling Hampshire to field their first choice championship batting line up for the first time since the win against Durham seven weeks ago.

And Terry reckons Hampshire's hopes of making it four wins in five first-class games have been boosted by the form of the bowling attack.

Five of the top seven players in the Second Division championship bowling averages are from Hampshire - with Dimi Mascarenhas leading the way with 25 victims at 10.56.

The others are Shaun Udal, Shane Warne, Billy Taylor and Chris Tremlett.

"Alan Mullally looks like he's got a bit more zip back and people have got over their niggles. Hopefully it will stay that way," stated Terry.

Hampshire (from): Kenway, Brown, Crawley, Clarke, Kendall, Prittipaul, Pothas, Mascarenhas, Warne, Udal, Tremlett, Mullally, Taylor.