The England all-rounder has been starved of action since he linked up with Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

Mascarenhas who took over from Warne as Rose Bowl skipper this season, played just one of the five matches during his stay, taking two wickets and scoring nine runs.

Now he returns to a Hampshire side desperately short of inspiration and facing a daunting County Championship clash with Surrey, one of the country's most explosive sides.

Coach Paul Terry said: 'Dimi will be back. Obviously they (Rajasthan) have been winning games so he couldn't get in.

'It wasn't frustrating for us – we knew he would be missing for those weeks and had to get on with it.'

The skipper will return with Michael Carberry and Chris Tremlett, who starred for England Lions against New Zealand last week.

The former out-gunned international rivals Rob Key, Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara as he struck 41 and 108 to enhance his Test credentials.

Meanwhile, Tremlett bagged seven wickets in the draw.

'They will be back,' said Terry.

'Looking from afar, I think we had the pick of the bowlers and the pick of the batters in that game.

'So we are really pleased for both of them.

'It was another step up for Michael, playing a touring side, and it was a really good effort from him. Hopefully his form will continue.'

The coach added: 'It is always tough playing against Surrey.

'We beat them in one game last summer and they beat us.

'They have a very strong batting line-up and we will have to be very disciplined in the way we bowl at them. We can't afford to let them get away because on their day they are very dangerous.

'They've got that Ramprakash chap who seems to be getting a few runs.'
Hampshire drew with Somerset at Taunton last week, but the depleted outfit showed plenty of promise.

James Tomlinson is firing on all cylinders after his eight-wicket haul on the opening day, and 10 in the match.

Add to that the emergence of 18-year-old seam bowler Hamza Riazuddin and the future doesn't look so bleak for a county tipped to be relegated before a ball was bowled this summer.

Only a drying wicket and the form of ex-Test stars Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer robbed the inexperienced outfit of an unexpected victory.

Terry said: 'Taunton is a small ground, fast outfield and there is no margin for error.'

'We got the best of the conditions, no doubt about that.

'We had a pretty young attack but Tommo led them very well.

'Hamza was probably the pick of our bowlers in the second innings.

'Considering he was bowling at Langer and Trescothick, I'm really pleased for him.

'It doesn't get much tougher than a flat wicket at Taunton.'