GARETH Berg is set to play his first Specsavers County Championship match since his stellar debut season.

Hampshire’s Players’ Player of the Year has been nursed back to full fitness since undergoing a knee operation before the start of the season.

Berg sustained the injury while sliding in the field during a pre-season match in Barbados.

Now, after 39.1 overs of limited-overs competition, he has been declared ready for the rigours of a four-day match.

The 35 year-old has impressed during his 25 overs in the Royal London One-Day Cup (six wickets at 26) and 14.1 in the Natwest T20 Blast (five wickets at 25.8).

Now he is set for his first Championship match since Hampshire completed the Great Escape last September.

Hampshire’s improbable survival was largely due to Berg’s heroics.

The 34 year-old’s 672 runs at 32 and 42 wickets at 28.11 apiece made him one of the signings of the season, after a shoulder infection persuaded Middlesex to cancel his contract.

He contributed with bat and/or ball consistently up until the crucial last game, when he took 2-51 and 2-28 either side of scoring 72 at No.10 as Hampshire beat a Nottinghamshire side including Stuart Broad at Trent Bridge..

“It’s a big boost to have Gareth Berg back for the Championship, after his performances last season,” said Hampshire director of cricket Giles White.

“He gives us depth of batting as well as bowling in what is a very big match for us.”

Hampshire have returned to the foot of the table after Surrey’s win against Notts at The Oval put them level on points with their third-from-bottom opponents.

But Hampshire have two games in hand on both sides. A maximum points win against Somerset would lift them back above Surrey, who have a week off.

Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein says Berg’s return will improve the county’s chances of taking maximum batting points.

“We need to start scoring 400 runs consistently in the first innings,” he said.

“When we do that we’ll have confidence from being hard to beat.”

Hampshire have first-innings totals of 202, 453-9, 109, 270 and 131 this season.

The last total precipitated their 2016 nadir, the innings and 116-run defeat against Middlesex.

Hampshire left Merchant Taylors’ School on June 1 with minus one point, with their slow over rate compounding a poor performance.

Berg is likely to be one of three personnel changes to that team, with Tom Alsop expected to bat at No.3 after missing the Middlesex defeat through illness.

Michael Carberry is set to bat in the middle order, with Will Smith installed as Jimmy Adams' new opening partner.

"A left-hand/right-hand combination will give the Somerset bowlers something else to think about," said Benkenstein.

Joe Weatherley makes way after his Championship debut against Middlesex and Lewis McManus comes in for the third Championship match of his career in place of Adam Wheater, who is still struggling with a sore neck.

Berg's return and the recent wet weather could cost Mason Crane his place.

Unbeaten Somerset won their first Championship match of the season, by one wicket against Surrey, when they were last in four-day action a month ago - after beginning with five successive draws.

Hampshire (from): Smith, Adams, Alsop, Dawson, Carberry, Ervine, McManus, McLaren, Berg, Andrew, Best, Crane, Tomlinson.