REECE Topley is likely to bowl for Hampshire for the first time in the Specsavers County Championship - against a Yorkshire side set to include England captain Joe Root.

The England one-day bowler proved his fitness by taking 2-27 from 14 overs as Hampshire bowled Surrey out for 231 on the first day of their opening Second Eleven Championship match on the Ageas Bowl’s Nursery Ground.

Topley has not bowled for Hampshire’s first team since signing from Essex 18 months ago.

He suffered a fractured hand while batting in the opening game of last season and has since had back and shoulder issues.

But after bowling again during last month’s trip to the Caribbean, he is now fully match fit and ready to replace the hamstrung Fidel Edwards on Friday.

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White confirmed: “Fidel has a grade one hamstring strain so should be available after Yorkshire, but Reece comes into the squad for Friday. He bowled nicely and very economically, it will be nice to get him going.”

Mason Crane (3-0-8-0) and Chris Wood (7-0-47-0) were the only bowlers to finish wicketless against Surrey II yesterday.

Off-spinner Brad Taylor (5.4-0-26-3) finished with the best first-innings figures after Topley (14-5-27-2) took the top-order wickets of England Under-19 batsmen Euan Woods (three) and Ollie Pope (92).

Topley’s new-ball partner Ryan Stevenson (15-5-33-3) made the first breakthrough by bowling Ryan Patel and Surrey were 7-2 in the fifth when Topley had NoWoods caught by Ben Duggan.

Stevenson ended a 44-run partnership when Arun Harinath (19) was caught behind by new academy wicketkeeper Calvin Dickinson.

Ten overs later Aussie Ian Holland (11-2-44-1) dismissed Freddie van den Bergh (20) and Surrey were 125-5 when another Duggan catch gave Stevenson his third victim.

Pope and Stuart Meaker shared the biggest partnership of the innings, putting on 69 in 15 overs for the sixth wicket.

It was broken by Taylor, who had Meaker caught by Will Smith for 18.

Pope was finally dismissed in the next over, lbw to Topley after hitting 11 fours from 132 balls.

Conor McKerr was unbeaten on a quickfire 28 (29 balls), which included three fours and the only six of the innings, when Taylor (5.4-0-26-3) and seamer Asher Hart (9-2-22-1) a winter signing from Durham, dismissed the tail.

Hampshire were 68-3 in reply when Will Smith (36) was caught behind against Meaker.