Charlie Van der Gucht reckons he is bowling better than ever - after winter net sessions with members of the Australian Test squad.

Left arm spinner Van Der Gucht broke both his legs after being hit by a London taxi in July 2001 but his remarkable recovery could see him add to his two first class appearances for Hampshire this summer.

The 23-year-old, who took 3-75 on his debut against Zimbabwe three years ago, reported back for pre-season training last week after a winter based in Sydney with Hampshire physio Pat Farhart.

Now he is raring to go.

He said: "I still get a bit of ankle pain but my cardiovascular fitness is better than it's ever been.

"When you're not fit you never know if you're going to be able to get back to where you were.

"So to be as fit as I am now is a relief more than anything else, the fact that I can get through a day's cricket and feel fine."

Van Der Gucht, pictured above, played for Gordon in the Sydney League and had several nets with Hampshire new boy Simon Katich and the rest of the New South Wales squad when he was not in the gym.

"I turned up for my first net session and Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and the Waugh brothers were all there, along with Kat, who I know quite well now," he added.

"Bowling against those guys was fantastic, you can't help but improve. Stuart Macgill, the Australian leg spinner, and Kat, a left arm spinner himself, were really helpful.

"Between those two I picked up some good tips, and Kat is going to be great for Hampshire. He's a big temperament player and captained New South Wales when Steve Waugh was with Australia, he's got a lot to offer."

Van Der Gucht is behind Shaun Udal and Katich, whose bowling has improved dramatically during the last six months, in the spin bowling pecking order.

But the absence of Shane Warne could mean a sooner than expected return to the first team for Basingstoke-based Van Der Gucht, who is now available from the start of the season after graduating from Durham University last year.

"I feel really sorry for Shane, he's a great guy and very helpful, hopefully he'll be back next season to help out," added Van Der Gucht.

"Him not being here is bad for the club but there could be a silver lining for me if I bowl well for the second team.

"I'll go into the new season with a lot of confidence behind me because I finished with a seven-for and a five-for in my last two games for Gordon, who I played for four years ago."

Alex Morris has given Hampshire a pre-season fitness boost.

Pace bowler Morris injured his back in the first game of last season at Kent but expects to be fully fit for the opening game of the 2003 campaign after undergoing an operation last month.

Morris, 26, spent the season playing as a batsman for South Sydney, for whom he scored a hundred and two fifties.

But he is confident of being available to bowl for Hampshire at Worcestershire on April 18 after the op removed some floating bone from his lower back six weeks ago. Morris said: "I'm just bowling off three or four steps at the moment but I'll be running in properly in a couple of weeks time so I should be ready for the start of the season.

"I worked a lot on my core stability with Paddy Farhart over the summer and now I'm just waiting to be able to bowl outside."

Hampshire have still not got a date for Shoaib Ahktar's medical, although they still expect it to take place some time this week.

Pakistan are yet to finalise their Test itinerary but Hampshire have admitted that Shoaib's move to the Rose Bowl continues to look "increasingly unlikely".