SHAUN UDAL reckons Hampshire have silenced the critics - by winning FIVE of their seven championship matches away from the Rose Bowl.

Hampshire can make it six if they can add second from bottom Derbyshire to a list that includes Yorkshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Somerset and now Leicestershire.

Only the rain at Durham and a docile wicket at Nottinghamshire denied Hampshire the chance of a 100 per cent record on the road.

Udal said: "We didn't expect to win as many games as we have done, to win eight games is a great effort, especially as most of them have been away from home.

"People thought the Rose Bowl would help us but we've won on good wickets all around the country."

Udal is one of the few survivors from the XI that won Hampshire's last championship promotion - at Notts three years ago.

"It's different to last time, we've enjoyed it more because we've played a lot more positive and attacking cricket, which is what Shane's put forward.

The off spinner believes Hampshire will be better equipped to survive than in 2002, when they were relegated after just one season in the top flight of the four-day league.

"If we make a couple of additions in the winter I'm sure we'll have a good chance," he said.

"Warwickshire have only won five games this year, you only need to win a few home games and you're halfway there, so we're better prepared.

"The batting is the one thing that has let us down a little bit in the past, but the guys have come good towards the end of the season and if we play on better wickets next year I'm sure they'll cash in.

"The umpires don't think there's a massive difference between the first and second division, it's just that the wickets are a bit better and the batsmen get bigger scores so that'll be the key for us.

"We need another strike bowler to back up Chris Tremlett but with the right blend of experience and youth I'm sure we'll consolidate.

"We've done everything we wanted to do this season apart from win something, but this is a big high - we're very close to being a really good side."

HAMPSHIRE have won eight of their 15 championship games in 2004.

That's twice as many as they had won in the two seasons prior to this one!

In 2003, when the county finished second from bottom in the second division of the championship, they only won twice out of 16 games - one of which was after following on against Glamorgan and the other the final match of the season at Derbyshire, the only county to finish below Hampshire in the table.

And in 2002, when Hampshire were relegated from the first division of the championship with Yorkshire and Somerset - the previous season's top two - again the side captained by Robin Smith only managed two successes.