Hampshire prodigy John Francis is in contention for a place in the side to play Sussex in the first round of the C & G Trophy at the Rose Bowl tomorrow.

Loughborough UCCE student Francis scored his maiden Hampshire ton in the last one-day match of last season and is available to his county for the first time this season tomorrow.

He is expected to come into the side, possibly in place of James Hamblin, and Alan Mullally is also in contention after resting a troublesome ankle during Hampshire's National League double-header over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Hampshire entertain Sussex in the 50-over competition three days after beating their south coast rivals by 43 runs on a poor Rose Bowl wicket and 48 hours after yesterday's last ball defeat against Middlesex.

Manager Paul Terry, a player during Hampshire's one day successes in the late eighties and early nineties, said: "This game is all important, we certainly don't want to get knocked out in the first round.

"Cup runs are good fun, they're very enjoyable and if we could get a run going it could be pretty spectacular."

Hampshire (from): Kenway, Crawley, Smith, Katich, Kendall, Pothas, Hamblin, Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Udal, Tremlett, Francis, Mullally. Play starts at 10.45am.