HAMPSHIRE are spitting teeth over a one-day series which could mean them starting next season with Shane Warne.

The club's chief executive Tony Baker said Hampshire were "absolutely helpless," as plans to shoehorn in a triangular one-day series in Sharjah involving Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have reached an advanced stage.

The tournament, which will get under way next April, was not initially on next year's calender when Hampshire signed Warne and they and other counties are annoyed that the Australian Cricket Board have tentatively agreed to take part.

The ACB are currently in discussion with the players union Down Under as many of the Aussie stars such as Warne, Glenn McGrath and Michael Bevan, have signed contracts with English counties.

None of the English counties were given any intimation of the tournament and Mr Baker said: "The first knowledge I had of it was when I read it in a newspaper. It's not a very good way to run a business and, at the moment, we have no idea what's happening."

Warne, meanwhile was helping Australia complete a comprehensive ten-wicket victory in the first Test against Pakistan this morning after the tourists collapsed in their second innings.

Warne showed his all-round ability in the match, cracking a Test best 86 in Australia's first innings and his wizardry with the ball, working in harmony with paceman Glenn McGrath, had Pakistan on the back foot immediately on the final day.

Hampshire's other new signing Alan Mullally claimed 3-31 in the second innings as England's four-day match against a combined Western Province/Boland XI petered out to a dismal draw at Newlands with the home side setting an unlikely target of 250 in 47 overs.

England travel to Bloemfontein on Tuesday where they will face a combined Free State/Griqualand West XI in their next four day match beginning on Friday.

The first test against South Africa begins on November 25

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