LEADING Ashes series wicket-taker Shane Warne and his defeated Australia colleague Simon Katich are expected to play for Hampshire in their totesport League relegation battle with Glamorgan in Cardiff later today (start 4.10pm).

Warne took forty wickets in the series but his dropped catch yesterday when England Fifth Test batting hero Kevin Pietersen was on 15 cost his side any hopes of retaining the Ashes urn as Pietersen went on to score 158 and clinch the draw England needed to take the series 2-1.

Glamorgan captain Robert Croft says England's success will have a great knock-on effect on Welsh cricket. "I am proud that Glamorgan's Simon Jones and fellow Welshman Geraint Jones played a part," said former England spinner Croft.

"In 1981, Botham's Ashes made me want to do it and made me want to play cricket and at Glamorgan it had a knock-on effect because it made kids want to play and ten years later some were in the Glamorganm side.

"I firmly believe that this Ashes win means that in ten years time it will have another massive knock-on effect on Welsh cricket."

Meanwhile victory for Glamorgan this evening will mean they are certain to avoid relegation from a division in which a win over Middlesex on Sunday would have kept them in the running for the runners-up spoit and £10,000.

But they blew a superb chance of victory by losing their last five wickets for 15 runs and such is the closeness of teams in the top division that relegation is still possible.

Victory over Hampshire, also in the relegation zone, or over Gloucestershire in their final league game on Sunday, September 25 will make them safe.

But with the other counties in the relegation stakes - Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Worcestershire as well as Hampshire - involved in games against each other before the season is over, the chances are Glamorgan will be safe whatever the outcome of their matches.

Glamorgan have named the same squad who faced Middlesex with Blackwood's Ryan Watkins continuing his run in the one-day and championship squads.

A serious injury kept Watkins out of action in the early months of the season but the 22-year-old is now getting a run of game to try to prove himself.

Glamorgan squad: Croft, Watkins, Wharf, Hemp, Powell, Grant, Cherry, Wallace, Davies, Harrison, Cosker, Hughes.