Nic Pothas reckons Jonty Rhodes' strengths can be his weakness.

Hampshire wicketkeeper Pothas played against Rhodes for Gauteng against Kwu Zulu Natal on several occasions during his club career in South Africa.

Now he is preparing to face Rhodes for the first time in the county championship.

Pothas said: "Jonty is not going to shirk anything, he's very energetic and will play at anything, he's not shy at the crease. We can't afford to take our time to work him out, we have to be switched on from the start because he will go at the ball from ball one will give chances early on.

"His keenness to get at the ball has been a talking point throughout his career. His big strength is that he scores at a quick rate and gives the bowlers in his team more time to bowl the opposition out, but at the same time that gives you more a chance of a nick.

"His pace between the wickets can also be his weakness. We've run out his batting partner more than once."

Rhodes is in his first season of county cricket, having retired from the South Africa side after breaking his hand against Kenya during his country's ill-fated World Cup campaign.

That was the last of his 245 one-day international appearances, a South Africa record. Pothas won three one-day caps of his own for South Africa.

Rhodes did not play in any of those games out in Singapore two years ago, but Pothas knows all about the 33-year-old from playing against him in the Supersport Series and the Standard Bank Cup, South Africa's first class and one-day domestic competitions.

Pothas added: "Because Jonty is such a good one-day cricketer, he can hit the ball anywhere. He gets the ball in funny places and a typical field setting for a four-day match might not be enough against him because he loves to improvise so much.

"He can make you put fielders when you don't really want to put them so we have to get the ball in right areas from the start."

So far Rhodes has been in terrific form for Gloucestershire. He scored a 50 on his debut in a thrilling eight-run win against West Country rivals Somerset in the first game of the season, Gloucestershire's only home match in the championship so far.

After making his first ton for the county at Northants, he made 60 in a second successive rain-affected draw at Durham, before narrowly missing out on another 50 against Cardiff over the weekend.

Pothas added: "Jonty is a very good package deal. He might not be the most skilled batsman in the world but overall he is a very attractive package for a club because of his fielding and marketability.

"When you have a pro like that over it gives you much better options."