SHAUN UDAL hailed Hampshire's best season for a decade after leading the county to a ninth county Championship win.

Off spinner Udal, captain in the absence of Shane Warne, took 6 for 79 - his first haul of five wickets or more for more than two years and his best return for three - as Hampshire won a rain-affected match against Derbyshire by 91 runs at Derby yesterday.

Udal said: "Getting promoted in 2001 was pretty good but this is probably the best we've played overall for about ten years.

"To finish third in the one day league and reach the quarter finals of the Twenty20 Cup, as well as dominate as many games as we have in winning promotion in the championship, has been a great effort."

Championship debutants Chris Benham (74) and Greg Lamb (94) had top scored in Hampshire's first innings before two declarations set Derbyshire 320 to win.

Udal, pictured above, added: "A feature of our season has been that everyone has contributed and it was great to see Chris and Greg get runs on their debuts, they both batted really well.

"Greg carried on from where he left off in the one-dayers and Chris was particularly pleasing to the eye, he's got a lot of shots and that bodes well for the future."

Derbyshire were bowled out for 229 after they had been set a target of 321 in a minimum of 85 overs.

Derbyshire started soundly but wickets fell at regular intervals and Hampshire had more than 19 overs to spare when Udal took the last wicket.

Udal also took the first after Steve Stubbings and Ben France had put on 38.

When France came down the wicket to Udal, he skied a catch to mid on and Udal struck again before lunch when Stubbings was lbw playing half forward.

In the sixth over after lunch Tremlett sent back Hassan Adnan and James Bryant.

Adnan had made only five before he was lbw as he played around a ball that came back at him.

Bryant's miserable season ended when he was caught at square leg for 23 to leave Derbyshire in trouble at 80-4.

Australian all-rounder Jon Moss made only 20 before he slog-swept Udal to deep square leg where James Tomlinson took a well judged catch.

Lee Goddard struggled fornine overs before he was lbw to Dimitri Mascarenhas who then bowled Graeme Welch.

Chris Bassano reached his 50 just before tea and was unbeaten on 64 as Udal quickly wrapped up the win.

Mo Sheikh was taken at silly point and, after a couple of defiant blows, Nathan Dumelow was lbw sweeping.

That took Udal past his previous best figures this season of 4-55, and his sixth victim came when Paul Havell was caught at slip.