MICHAEL CLARKE plays against Glamorgan at Cardiff this week as the first Hampshire batsman in seven years to have scored hundreds in both innings of a first class match.

Fellow Australian Matthew Hayden twice achieved the feat in 1997, scoring 150 in each innings against Northants at Northampton and 235 not out and 119 against Warwickshire at Southampton.

Clarke's feat was only the 23rd time in 105 years that a century in each innings had been achieved by a Hampshire batsman and he added his name to a list which also includes legends Gordon Greenidge (3 times), Chris Smith (twice) and Barry Richards (twice).

Clarke added to the career best 140 he scored in the first innings at Trent Bridge by following up with a 108-ball 103 - the ninth first class hundred of his career.

Clarke will be playing his last championship match of the season away from the Rose Bowl when second take on third in Cardiff on Thursday.

He will play in the Rose Bowl four dayers againat Essex and Glamorgan in August before being replaced by Simon Katich for the last four games of the season.

And manager Paul Terry reckons that Clarke's confidence is now buoyant after his twin hundreds at Trent Bridge - despite the fact that they were scored on the flattest of wickets.

Terry said: "Runs are runs, you've still got to do it and I'm sure that'll do his confidence a lot of good.

"We've just got to continue doing our bit and win some games.

"We're in a position to be masters of our own destiny if we play some good cricket and the next two weeks are going to be important.

"If we can beat Glamorgan it'll obviously be a good effort."

Shane Warne remains typically upbeat despite the non-contest at Trent Bridge

"Out of everything you've got to find a positive," he said.

"John Crawley batted beautifully for 300 and Michael Clarke, for the first time in his career, got a hundred in both innings when they were still bowling properly."

Warne has still not given up hope of the second division title, knowing that victory against Glamorgan will keep the pressure on Mick Newell's side .

"Nottinghamshire, ourselves and Glamorgan are, I believe, the three best sides in the competition," he stated. "Now we move to Glamorgan and whoever wins this game will only be a game behind Notts so there's still a three-way challenge at the top."

The biggest threat to Hampshire's hopes is Mike Kasprowicz, who plays his first championship match since playing with Warne for Australia against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Kasprowicz had an excellent series, taking 12 wickets in the two Tests, including 7 for 39 in Cairns.

Warne added: "He bowled beautifully and he bowled fast - I was standing at slip!

"It will be interesting to see what sort of wicket we get down there.

"Over here the counties don't hide the fact that they try and prepare wickets depending on who's playing.

"We don't have that luxury at the Rose Bowl, we just play on what we get, but hopefully we'll get a nice even wicket and a good contest between bat and ball.

"Presumably with Mike Kasprowicz playing we might get a bit of a green seamer that might seam around early and hopefully flatten out and turn a bit at the end.

"It would be nice to play on a good cricket wicket so we can play a proper game of cricket."

Hampshire will pick from a squad of 13 tomorrow after adding Greg Lamb and James Bruce to the side that drew with Nottinghamshire for tomorrow's floodlit totesport League clash in Cardiff.

Hampshire (from): Kenway, Brown, Crawley, Clarke, Adams, Pothas, Mascarenhas, Warne, Udal, Mullally, Taylor Lamb, Bruce.