Hampshire new boy Imran Tahir bowled himself into the county's record books with his sensational debut against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

The Pakistani leg-spinner finished with the best first-class match analysis by a Hampshire debutant for 133 YEARS when he took the last three Lancashire wickets to fall yesterday morning.

Tahir took 7-66 in Lancashire's second innings, equalling the record Championship debut figures that Shane Bond produced against Sussex in Hampshire's first match of the season.

Yesterday's performance secured him match figures of 12-189 following his 5-123 during Lancashire's first innings.

That is the best-ever analysis by a Hampshire bowler on his Championship debut, surpassing the 11-160 that seamer Tom Soar took in the county's first-ever match in the County Championship in 1895.

It is also the best analysis by a Hampshire player on his first-class debut since Arthur Ridley took 12-173 - bowling underarm! - against Sussex at Hove in 1875.

Captain Dimitri Mascarenhas believes the new signing can inspire Hampshire to first-division survival.

He said: "Imran was unbelievable, he was just fantastic from ball one.

"I don't know exactly how we found him but there was talk of a Pakistani leg spinner and we thought that sounded good at this time of year. He proved to be a handful!

"He loves taking wickets so hopefully we can see him celebrate a few more times this season."

Even Shane Warne did not produce Championship figures as eye-catching as Tahir did in this match.

During his five seasons with Hampshire, Warne managed 11-133 against Durham and 7-99 in an innings against Middlesex.

Mascarenhas added: "Imran bowls a lot more wrong 'uns than Warney and is a similar thinker.

"He knows what he's doing and how to work batters out. He's also done a few people with his flipper so he's a huge prospect."

Tahir's only previous Championship wicket was against Lancashire for Middlesex in 2003 and he took 3-31 against them for Staffordshire in a C & G Trophy match four years ago. Two months later he took 3-39 against Lancashire's second XI for Durham when he was playing club cricket in the north east.

Lancashire manager Mike Watkinson said: "He bowled a bit quicker than when we last saw him.

"The surface was ideal for him, he was very skiddy and took some adjusting to. He'll catch a lot of players out."

Incredibly, despite bowling 69.4 overs at Old Trafford, Tahir will be playing his last game of the season for Moddershall CC in the Waterworld North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League against Knypersley today, as Hampshire are without a game this weekend.