HAMPSHIRE'S storming start to the County Championship season has put them well on course for promotion to the top flight.

On Friday evening they wrapped up victory against Yorkshire at Headingley inside three days.

It was their third first class win in four league matches - only Derbyshire's last-wicket pair have prevented Hampshire starting the season with four successive Championship wins.

If you include the final game of the 2003 Frizzell season - when Hampshire won at Derbyshire - the county have won four of their last five matches in the championship.

Before that, they had only won three times in 31 matches!

Hampshire have so far picked up 17.25 points per championship match.

That is well above the average needed to claim a promotion spot.

In the four years since the championship has been split into two divisions, the third-placed team has gone up averaging 11.45 points a match.

In 2000 Glamorgan went up in third place with just five wins out of 16 and 160 points - Hampshire have got 69 points after only a quarter of the season!

Last year Gloucestershire went up in third place and they, too, won only five matches all season.

Hampshire are currently experiencing their best start to a season for almost 30 years.

Back in 1975 Richard Gilliat's team - including the likes of the legendary Barry Richards and Gordon Greenidge - won 15 of their opening 18 league and cup matches.

That was the season Hampshire finished third in the championship and won the John Player one-day league with 13 wins out of 16.