Not since 1992 have Hampshire started a championship season with a win. But Shane Warne and Michael Clarke inspired a dream opening day to the 2004 season at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

Warne took his first wicket as Hampshire captain with his 17th ball as Durham were bowled out for just 128. And that was after the visitors had won the toss.

But the highlight of the day was provided by Clarke, who showed why he is arguably the best batsman not to have played Test cricket in the world today by reaching his fifty off just 38 balls in the final session

Australia's bright hope wasted no time showing Hampshire fans what they can expect this season when he clipped his first ball, a half volley from Mark Davies, through mid-wicket for four.

Derek Kenway had been out to what turned out to be the last ball before tea, following a juggled effort in the slips after an encouraging opening stand with Michael Brown, whose departure heralded Clarke's arrival.

The wunderkind from Down Under treated the first day crowd to some sumptuous strokeplay and soon overtook his batting partner, John Crawley, who was looking in good nick himself.

Clarke reached his fifty with a powerful square drive during a Liam Plunkett over in which he scored three boundaries.

It was a far better start to county cricket than he managed with the ball - the first delivery of his solitary over a rank long hop, pulled for four.

The toss had proved a good one to lose when a beefed-up Chris Tremlett had Jon Lewis, Warne's opposite number, caught behind via an inside edge off the ninth ball of the new era.

And, when Warne took the first of hs three slip catches five overs later, you knew it was going to be Hampshire's day.

He showed athleticism to match his slimmer look with a diving catch across first slip to hand Alan Mullally his only wicket.

It was a low catch from Warne that gave Dimitri Mascarenhas the wicket of left-hander Gary Pratt, and then the Aussie took that first wicket with the penultimate ball of his third over.

It ended a two-hour vigil by Marcus North, the Western Australian stand-in in for Herschelle Gibbs.

Billy Taylor took a simple catch after left-hander North had steered the ball to him at backward point.

Durham were four down at lunch, after which Hampshire really turned the screw.

Gavin Hamilton was caught by Michael Brown, who was fielding at short leg, the customary position for the new boy, from the last ball of the first over of the middle session. It was the first of three wickets in four overs as Durham slumped to 88-7. A stand of 35 in 15 overs between Nicky Peng and Liam Plunkett took the visitors, who were weakened by the absence of their overseas players as well as England pair Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood, past three figures.

But Peng just missed out on a fifty and the last pair soon followed, Warne wrapping up the innings by trapping Reon King leg before.

At stumps Hampshire were 195-5, a lead of 68, with Clarke, who hit 11 boundaries, unbeaten on a run-a-ball 73