Brad Taylor is set to make his first Specsavers County Championship appearance for THREE YEARS following this week’s England T20 call-ups for Mason Crane and Liam Dawson.

The off-spinner missed most of last season with a freak ankle injury but is expected to play his third Championship match on Monday.

With Crane and Dawson unavailable, he has been included in a 13-man squad for Hampshire’s match against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Winchester-born Taylor, who grew up playing for Holybourne CC, became Hampshire’s youngest player since 1867 as a 16 year-old against Lancashire at Southport in August 2013.

The 20 year-old took 4-64 in the second innings of his Championship debut but he has only played one Championship game since.

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: “Brad’s a good all-round package to have coming in with Liam and Mason away. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

Hampshire will return to Championship action in third place, ten points behind leaders Essex and six above fourth-placed.

Lancashire, who ended champions Middlesex’s 21-match unbeaten run on Monday.

White said: “There are a lot of strong sides in asimilar position but we expected this to be a very tight league, one that all the sides are capable of winning or even being relegated from.”

Hampshire (from): Carberry, Adams, Rossouw, Vince, Bailey (c), Ervine, McManus, Berg, Abbott, Salisbury, Taylor, Holland, Wheal.