MICHAEL DIGHTON can't wait to put himself in county cricket's shop window.

The 28-year-old was on Wednesday named as Hampshire's FOURTH overseas signing of 2004.

The Tasmania top order batsman, a state colleague of soon-to-be Hampshire all-rounder Shane Watson, is currently playing for Scottish League Premier Division outfit Greenock.

But like many of his compatriots, Dighton is keen to play a full summer of English county cricket.

"This is a phenomenal chance for me, an awesome chance to show what I can do," he said.

Dighton has been recruited by Hampshire to cover for Michael Clarke and Watson when they are on Australian one-day duty.

He therefore misses his chance to play in the same team as Tasmanian colleague Watson, who makes his Hampshire debut as Shane Warne's replacement in the Totesport League at Old Trafford this Sunday.

Warne will be back from his Australian Test commitments in Zimbabwe by the end of this month.

Dighton will make his Hampshire debut, alongside Warne, in a Totesport League match against Kent at The Rose Bowl on Bank Holiday Monday, May 31.

He will also play one-day league games against Warwickshire and Essex as well as championship matches against Notts and Essex.

Dighton normally bats at five for Tasmania in four-day Pura Cup games but opens in the limited-overs format.

"I like to think of myself as a strokeplayer, a strokemaker, call it what you want," he admitted.

"I like to get on with it.

"I prefer to open in the one-day game but I'll bat wherever I'm asked to.

"I can't wait to come down. Hampshire are on fire at the moment and hopefully I can help them win a few more games."

Dighton is fresh from his best-ever Pura Cup campaign Down Under.

He plundered 944 runs at 55.52 with three centuries - only Watson with 983 runs at 54.61 scored more runs for Tasmania in 2003/04.

The highlight was his superb 152 in a drawn match against Victoria, who were minus Warne.

But playing against Warne his Victoria colleagues in February, Dighton scored 54 and 50 in his side's 218-run defeat - Glamorgan star Matthew Elliott hitting 166 and 102 not out for Victoria in the same match.

Dighton and Watson, meanwhile, starred against a Western Australia side including the likes of Justin Langer, Mike Hussey, Chris Rogers, Marcus North and Murray Goodwin.

Watson cracked 139 and 92 in the drawn match in Hobart in February while scored 101 and 62.

Dighton struck 127 not out in a drawn encounter with Queensland in January.

In the same game Martin Love, who struck a huge double century for Durham against Hampshire last year, hit 100 and Lancashire run machine Stuart Law was out for 99.

Queensland also included Clinton Perren, who played for Cheshire against Hampshire in the C & G Cup last week.

Dighton has been playing in Scotland for Premier League club Greenock this year - though rain has limited him to just a single innings so far.

He played for Greenock in 2003 after being recommended to the club by former Tasmania opener Dean Hills.

Dighton top scored for the club with 617 runs from 13 innings at 68.55 with seven half-centuries - one more than the rest of the Greenock team managed between them.

"Though I won't be playing for Hampshire until May 31, I'll be coming down a week earlier to get acclimatised," said Dighton.

"I might play a 2nd XI match to get some practice in. I know Paul Terry from Perth and I've obviously met Shane Warne before.

"But it will be great to play alongside him and get to know him better - he's an absolute legend in Australia and it's a dream come true to play in the same side as him.

"I'm just disappointed not to be playing with Shane Watson again or Michael Clarke.

"Michael's always done very well for Australia in the one-dayers and he'll be in the Test team soon.

"He plays the game with a smile on his face and he likes to get on with it - I like to think I play in the same vein.

"The Hampshire fans will also love Shane Watson, he's a phenomenal cricketer who works so hard - he's a great role model for all cricketers.

"Shane's a hard-hitting batsman and he can bowl at pace as well - he just returned to bowling towards the end of the Aussie season after a stress fracture in his back and put in some good spells."

Though his country has a rich vein of quality batsmen, Dighton has not given up all hope of one day wearing the baggy green.

"It should be the ambition of all sportsmen to represent their country and I'm no different," he said.

"I've never represented Australia at any level but I captained Western Australia at under-17 and under-19 level."

He was also an inductee of the Australian Cricket Academy in 1996.