Knight century helps Warwickshire dominate day's play

Nick Knight turned the clock back 12 months by launching the Cricinfo Championship with an undefeated 140 in Warwickshire's generally comfortable progress to 297 for 3 against relegated Hampshire.

The England left-hander began last summer with a career-best 233 against Glamorgan at Edgbaston but his international career was knocked off course when he broke a finger in the Second Test against the West Indies at Lord's.

A knee injury then kept him out of the one-day international squad in Kenya and Pakistan in the autumn and he only returned for one innings against Sri Lanka in March.

So Knight welcomed a chance to recuperate on a slow but amiable pitch when Hampshire captain Robin Smith chose to bowl first with his battery of six seamers.

Collecting 16 fours from 320 balls in a well-organised innings - accumulative rather than destructive - he put his side in a good position during partnerships of 92 with Mark Wagh (46) and an unbroken 192 with Dominic Ostler, unbeaten with 76 at the close.

Hampshire were given a good start when Warwickshire's new captain, Michael Powell, fell at second slip off Alex Morris for a duck, but England paceman Alan Mullally was to be the only serious threat to Knight & Co.

Wagh was bowled without playing a shot and Mullally hit the stumps for a second time to dismiss David Hemp cheaply during his first four overs after lunch.

Knight gave a half-chance in the gully off John Stephenson on 73 and reached his century from 228 balls with a pull for four off Championship debutant James Hamblin. In all he batted for six and a half hours and shared the day's honours with Mullally, who had figures of 2 for 31 in 23 overs.