LIAM Norwell is set to return to Gloucestershire’s team for the day-night Specsavers County Championship game against Sussex at Hove, starting on Monday.

Since beginning the season by taking 20 wickets in the first three Championship fixtures, the 25-year-old seamer has been sidelined with a back injury and missed the two games against Second Division leaders Nottinghamshire.

However, Norwell has trained this week and is ready to resume his opening bowling partnership with David Payne in one of nine four-day games starting on Monday where a pink ball will be used for the first time in the competition.

Head coach Richard Dawson said: “It will be a boost having Liam back after the form he showed in our early Championship games.

“We have already had three days of practice with the pink Duke balls and they are certainly different.

“They don’t appear to do a lot for the seamers, but they may turn, so we will need to keep that in mind when finalising the team to face Sussex.”

The next round of Championship games will see each day commence at 2pm, with floodlights used in the evening sessions.

Gloucestershire have been playing host to teams involved in the Women’s World Cup this week and Dawson’s men have not had the opportunity to practice under their own lights.

He said: “We have arranged a floodlit practice session at Hove on Sunday evening as the final preparation to face Sussex.

“It is going to be an interesting experiment. We have had some time off to get players fit and will go there with a strong squad.”

Before that, Gloucestershire have a T20 practice match against a West of England Premier League XI at Clifton College tomorrow, starting at 4pm.

Admission is free and Dawson has picked a strong side including Josh Shaw, who will be making the first appearance of his second spell on loan from Yorkshire.

The head coach is hoping to announce a new overseas signing for the NatWest T20 Blast this weekend, having seen pace bowler Andrew Tye’s hopes of returning to Gloucestershire foiled by a shoulder injury.

Shaw did not play T20 cricket for Gloucestershire during his loan last season, but will come into contention for this summer’s competition.

It starts for Gloucestershire with a home match against Middlesex at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday July 7.