MASON Crane is expected to play his first Hampshire match for ten months when the county begin the defence of the Royal London One-Day Cup tomorrow. 

Hampshire take on Kent, the side they beat in last year’s Lord's final, which Crane played through the pain barrier.

Crane, Hampshire’s leading bowler in last year’s competition with 15 wickets at 29.13, has not played since due to a recurrence of a stress fracture.

But he believes he is bowling better than ever and after taking 4-38 for Hampshire II against Leicestershire last week he is ready for the day-night clash at Canterbury (1pm start).

Sam Northeast will be playing his first match at Canterbury since his acrimonious move from Kent, whose fans booed him during last year's final.

Hampshire topped the south group last season, despite losing by one run to Kent at The Ageas Bowl.

They welcome back Tom Alsop, who suffered a thumb injury in the Specsavers County Championship opener against Essex earlier this month.

There will be at least two changes to the Hampshire team that won last year’s final.

Dale Steyn is no longer with the county, Joe Weatherley was left out of the 13-man squad and Lewis McManus is unavailable after being struck on the helmet by a Duanne Olivier bouncer during the recent innings defeat against Yorkshire in the Championship.

Hampshire's overseas signing Aiden Markram will make his white-ball debut, quite possibly alongside Rilee Rossouw, who was the man of the match in last year's final.

But there is no place in the squad for Keith Barker.

Joe Denly (4-57) and Sam Billings,who smashed a 60-ball 75, were Kent's two match-winners at Lord's, but they are currently playing in the Indian Premier League.

Hampshire (from): Markram, Rossouw, Vince, Northeast, Dawson, Alsop, Donald, Berg, Abbott, Wood, Crane, Taylor, Fuller.

Kent (from): Kuhn (capt), Bell-Drummond, Renshaw, Dickson, Blake, Stevens, Claydon, Haggett, Podmore, Imran Qayyum, Crawley, Klaassen, Milnes, Rouse.