HAMPSHIRE all-rounder Liam Dawson is ready to return to action after a lengthy injury lay-off as the County Championship gets underway tomorrow.

The England ace has not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon during Hampshire's Bob Willis Trophy match against Middlesex in August.

But he is set to return to the field when Adi Birrell's side travel to Leicestershire in Group Two of the competition from tomorrow (11am).

"I'm planning to be available for every game," Dawson told BBC Radio Solent.

"We're not going to know until I've finished a game how I pull up.

"There's only a couple of days' rest before we travel and train between games.

"It's going to be a tough schedule. If I don't feel that I can get through a game then missing a game isn't going to be the end of the world because it's a long season and there's a lot of cricket ahead."