SOUTH Africa paceman Andre Nel has flown in in time for Essex's opening LV County Championship match of the season against Northants, which begins at the Ford County Ground, Chelmsford, this morning.

Nel spent last night on a flight from Cape Town after being released from Standard Bank Twenty20 Series commitments by his side in his homeland, the Titans.

However, the 30-year-old is now expected to begin his third spell with the county by behing handed the new ball alongside new boy David Masters, who arrived from Leicestershire over the winter.

A third new pace bowler, former Middlesex youngster Chris Wright, has also been handed his Essex championship debut ahead of ex-England man Alex Tudor after impressing in last week's friendly match at Cambridge University.

All-rounder Graham Napier and spinner Tim Phillips were also left out, but veteran opening batsman Jason Gallian played his first championship match for the county following his switch from Nottinghamshire.

Essex captain Mark Pettini won the toss and elected to bowl, with the broken cloud overhead expected to assist Nel and his fellow seamers.

Essex: Pettini (capt), Gallian, Chopra, Westley, Bopara, Foster (wkt), ten Doeschate, Middlebrook, Nel, Masters, Wright.