Hampshire’s hopes of securing promotion to LV= County Championship Division One this week have been boosted with the inclusion of influential leg-spinner Imran Tahir in their squad for the game against Kent at the Ageas Bowl.
The South Africa international, whose previous spell on the south coast came in 2011 when the club surrendered their top-flight status, has returned for the final two matches of the season.
Hampshire can end a three-year absence from the top tier this week providing they secure three more points than third-placed Essex, who face bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire.
However, despite Tahir’s inclusion, Jimmy Adams’ side have suffered a blow with the news that opening batsman Michael Carberry will miss the rest of the season due to a hand injury sustained in training.
Sean Terry and England Under-19 international Tom Alsop have also been named in the 13-man party.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Wheater is confident his side, who travel to Glamorgan for their final game next week, can follow Worcestershire out of Division Two.
He told ecb.co.uk: “We’ve had a good week off and we’ve got a couple of games left – one being Kent and the other Glamorgan.
“I think it’s a fairly easy equation – if we win at least one or two then we are up and that’s what we are striving for."
On his own form, the 24-year-old added: “It’s been good. My last couple of games I have probably lacked a couple of scores, but it has been nice that I haven’t been needed. Carbs and (James) Vincey and Will Smith and Jimmy scored a double-hundred last game.
“I've just gone in and tried to hit a few boundaries. Before that I was really pleased and it was nice to get my first one-day hundred out of the way at Essex.
“That was almost like a monkey off my back scoring that – I always felt like had it in me but hadn’t proved that I could.”
Kent are without Mark Davies after the former Durham seamer announced his retirement this week due to a shoulder problem.
Third-placed Essex are looking to keep the pressure on Hampshire when they travel to Grace Road to play winless Leicestershire.
Paul Grayson’s team, 22 points off second, have surged into slight promotion contenders after winning four of their last five Division Two matches.
Seamer Jamie Porter made his debut in the crushing win over Kent and retains his place in a squad that is also boosted by the addition of Matt Salisbury.
Grayson was pleased with Porter’s bow at the Essex County Ground, saying: "We gave him his chance and he settled in very well so he deserves to keep his place in the squad.
“Our players know that if they do well in the second team, they will get their chance in the senior side, that's been the clear message from me and the rest of the coaching staff throughout the season.”
On the thought of promotion, Grayson added: "All we can do is to keep chipping away in our last two games and see what happens."
Nathan Buck, who will join Lancashire at the end of the season, is not included but fellow departing seamer Anthony Ireland wins a recall.
#SURvDER SQUAD: Slater, Godleman, Madsen, Pujara, Durston, A.Hughes, Hosein, White, Wainwright, Palladino, Footitt, Cotton, Taylor #P2bD
— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) September 14, 2014
Surrey and Derbyshire are both looking to return to winning ways when they go head-to-head at the Kia Oval.
The former’s promotion hopes ended when they dramatically lost their penultimate game of the campaign to Worcestershire, while Derbyshire were well beaten by Glamorgan.
Surrey, two points behind Essex in fourth having played a game more, have kept faith with the 13 players that travelled to New Road.
Derbyshire Academy graduate Harvey Hosein will make his first-class debut in the capital.
The 18-year-old is handed a chance following former Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman Gareth Cross’ departure.
Young paceman Tom Taylor is also back in contention after recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the Falcons’ Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.
LV= County Championship facts
*Surrey have won five and drawn one of their last six championship matches against Derbyshire.
*Essex have not lost any of their last 13 championship clashes against Leicestershire (won six, drawn seven).
*11 of the last 15 championship games between Hampshire (three wins) and Kent (one win) have been drawn.
*Surrey’s last eight first-innings totals in the championship have been 406, 480, 398, 589, 474, 522, 421 and 626.
*Chris Rogers is the leading championship run-scorer since the start of 2010 - he has also hit the most centuries.
*Five bowlers have taken more than 250 wickets since the start of the 2010 season: Tim Murtagh, David Masters, Andre Adams, Alan Richardson and Monty Panesar.
*Since the start of 2010, only Saeed Ajmal and Michael Hogan have taken at least 50 championship wickets at an average below 20.