Stephen Peters or Ian Flanagan will fill the gap left by Nasser Hussain when Essex return to Championship action against Surrey at The Oval tomorrow.

Both are in contention once more after being dropped following the opening match against Leicestershire in which they managed only 14 runs between them in four innings.

Flanagan's response was to smash 198 in a Second X1 fixture against Somerset, an innings which will have done wonders for the 18-year-old's confidence.

However, as the young left hander is regarded as an opening batsman, it is more likely that 20-year-old Peters will be drafted in to fill the vacancy left by Hussain's link-up with England's World Cup party.

If that proves the case, however, Flanagan might not have to wait much longer to pull on a first-team sweater again.

Darren Robinson has scored only a total of 48 runs in the first two Championship games against Leicestershire and Warwickshire and his position must be under pressure.

Teenage fast bowler Jamie Grove keeps his place in the squad but wicketkeeper Robert Rollins is again on the side lines still recovering from a pulled muscle suffered during the National League game against Lancashire at the end of last month.

In his absence, Barry Hyam continues to deputise in a side which will enter the Surrey game boosted by their victory against Warwickshire, one which ended a sequence of seven successive defeats.

They will also draw additional confidence from the fact that Surrey's batting will be seriously weakened by the absence of Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe and Adam Hollioake, all of whom are involved in England's World Cup bid.

Ronnie Irani leads the side in Hussain's absence but will not be revealing his final eleven until the players report to the ground.

The Essex squad is: Irani, Prichard, Robinson, Flanagan, S Law, Grayson, Peters, Hyam, Cowan, Ilott, Such, Grove.

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