James Tomlinson was today set to be handed his first first team appearance for TWO years in the crunch C & G Trophy tie against Sussex.

James Bruce is doubtful for the televised south coast derby against Sussex at Hove after suffering a shoulder strain while recording career-best figures of 5-43 in the championship win against Nottinghamshire.

So Tomlinson, 24, pictured right, has been added to the squad and is expected to make his second-ever C & G Trophy appearance after a rib injury kept him out for the whole of last season.

As a teenager Tomlinson played in the C & G Trophy for Wiltshire, a first round defeat against the Derbyshire Cricket Board at Chippenham five years ago.

But he has never played in a game as big as today's tie and is set to be thrown in as Chris Tremlett is targeting next week's championship match against Durham as his comeback, while Richard Logan has back trouble.

Sussex will qualify for their first Lord's final since 1993 if they win today so a big crowd is expected at Hove, with C & G Trophy holders Hampshire wanting to keep their hopes alive for next Sunday, when they play Glamorgan at The Rose Bowl at the same time as Sussex take on Gloucestershire.

Hampshire batsman Dominic Thornely said: "Sussex will have played very well to get this far so we know it will be a tough game.

"They might not have Rana Naved but they have players like Mushtaq Ahmed, who I faced for the first time in the championship match at The Rose Bowl, so it will not be easy.

"You have to get into a groove when you bat against Mushtaq, he has that boundy action that can be hard if you're not in a rhythm.

"But we have Warney and are playing well ourselves so we're confident."

Hampshire have recorded emphatic wins against Gloucestershire and Surrey but have also lost in the last over to Middlesex and Kent.

Thornley added: "We've lost two tight games, we should have beaten Middlesex on a good wicket at a small ground, and we lost off the last ball to Kent, but we still believe we can do it.

"I've never played in front of a full house at Lord's so I'll be doing everything I can to help us to get to the final and I know the same goes for everyone else.

"A lot has been said about the format of the competition, and there probably should be semi-finals involving the top two in each group because there are a lot of games that don't mean much with two games left.

"But we just have to make sure we're still involved next week."

Chris Benham is also included in the squad of 13 as Hampshire target the win they need to take the South Conference into the last round of games.

Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson said: "It's an exciting prospect for the club but we have won nothing yet.

"It will be big game and there will be a big crowd, but that's the kind of situation we want be in.

"There's no need to be nervous about it. We've got people like Chris Adams, Mushtaq, Matt Prior, Murray Goodwin.

"These are big-game players who are made for this sort of occasion.

Sussex expect to be at full strength, with the squad including new signing Yasir Arafat.

The action at Hove gets underway at 2.10pm.

Hampshire (from): Carberry, Crawley, Ervine, Thornely, Lamb, Pothas, Mascarenhas, Warne, Udal, Taylor, Tomlinson, Benham, Bruce.