SHANE WARNE will arrive at the Rose Bowl next week "in the form of his life" according to Australian coach John Buchanan.

Warne warmed up for the forthcoming English domestic season with Hampshire by starring in his country's 2-0 series Test win in New Zealand.

Warne bagged 4-77 this morning to help Australia power to a nine-wicket win on the fourth day of the third Test in Auckland.

The Hampshire skipper now has 583 wickets from 123 Tests and should, barring injury, become the first bowler to reach the 600-wicket milestone during this summer's Ashes series in England.

Warne followed up his 3-63 haul with a four-wicket burst which pegged back New Zealand after they had recovered from 23-4 in their second innings.

Trailing by 91 runs after the first innings, the Kiwis were saved an innings humiliation by Nathan Astle (69) and Daniel Vettori (65).

But both fell to Warne as the hosts were eventually dismissed for 254.

That left Australia 164 for victory, and skipper Ricky Ponting saw them stroll home by nine wickets.

Ponting lashed an unbeaten 82 off 84 balls and Justin Langer was unbeaten on 59 as the pair shared an unbroken second wicket stand of 148 as Australia won inside 30 overs.

Warne ended with 14 wickets in the three-Test series - including his 1,000 first class wicket at Christchurch - while pace bowler Glenn McGrath will enter the Ashes series needing just one victim to reach 500 in his Test career.

Buchanan paid tribute to Warne, who will next month start to plot Hampshire's twin challenge of First Division cricket in both the county championship and the National League.

"Shane's bowling has been vintage Warne," Buchanan said.

"The way he drifted and turned the ball (in Auckland) was like the Warne of old.

"He has been a real headache for the New Zealand batsmen throughout the series."

Hampshire's second overseas player this summer, Simon Katich, scored 35 in Australia's first innings in Auckland, to take his series average to 62.6 in three Tests.

He is almost certain to be named in the 16-man Ashes tour party which will be named next Monday.

Shane Watson, who spent a successful stint with Hampshire last summer, is one of a handful of players sweating on whether they will be named in the squad.

But even if the all-rounder is left out of the Test squad, he has already said he won't be returning to the Rose Bowl as cover once Warne and Katich leave to concentrate on the Ashes in July.