With Gatting still recovering from knee surgery, Ramprakash, 26, takes over from vice-captain John Carr, who is to retire at the end of the season to take up a full-time position with the Test and County Cricket Board.

Fit-again fast bowler David Millns returns for championship leaders Leicestershire against Glamorgan in place of Alan Mullally.

England Under-19 batsman David Sales returns for Northamptonshire against Kent at Northampton.

Rob Bailey is still out with a damaged wrist and broken thumb victim Russell Warren is also missing.

Kent bring in left-arm seamer Tim Wrenn for injured Mark Ealham while Matthew Walker will again open the batting.

Durham have dropped vice-captain John Morris for the match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, where he scored 200 two years ago in the same game in which Brian Lara made 501 not out. Morris has scored only 388 championship runs this season.

Warwickshire have included former England Under-18 captain Michael Powell, 21, in their squad.

Pace bowler Andre van Troost is set to return for Somerset against Essex at Taunton. Jason Kerr is called in to the side in place of seamer Kevin Shine, who damaged an ankle in practice during the last championship game against Hampshire.

Sussex fast bowler Paul Jarvis has been ruled out for the rest of the season after fracturing his left ankle.

Jarvis, who has played nine Tests for England, suffered a stress fracture during Sussex's defeat of his old county, Yorkshire, in the quarter-finals of the NatWest Trophy last week.

Former Australian Test off-spinner Tim May has announced his retirement at the age of 34.