The Twenty20 Cup's first centurion plays his first championship match of the season at the Rose Bowl tomorrow.

World Cup winner Ian Harvey missed the start of Gloucestershire's season as he was playing a three Test series for an Australia A side skippered by Simon Katich.

Then he had to join up with the Australia one day squad for whom he starred in a 4-3 series win against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

But now the 31-year-old is ready to begin his fifth season of county championship cricket with Gloucestershire four days after becoming the first man to score a Twenty20 Cup hundred

Shane Warne nicknamed Harvey 'The Freak' because of his fellow Victorian's ability in the field but it was Harvey's batting that set him apart at Edgbaston on Monday.

With Gloucestershire needing a win against Warwickshire to top their group, Harvey smashed an unbeaten 100 from just 50 balls, an innings that included 13 fours and four sixes, two of which were driven on to the committee's balcony, with another pulled out of the ground.

"It came off for me today but on another day it will be someone else's turn," he said modestly, before Gloucestershire skipper Mark Alleyne purred: "There aren't enough superlatives to describe that innings.

"It wasn't just slogged by any means. Harv has developed his game.

"He played proper shots and thoroughly deserved his ton. We all know what he is capable of and when it comes off he is fantastic to watch.

"Ian has had a tremendous year, winning the World Cup and a one-day series in the West Indies, and he's very consistent for us."

Two days before his Edgbaston knock Harvey blasted an unbeaten 75 off only 34 balls against Somerset in the Twenty20 at Bristol.

Harvey averages 26.76 with the bat in 38 championship matches for Gloucestershire - whom he helped to five one-day trophies in his first two seasons in 1999 and 2000 - but Katich knows all about the quality of his bowling.

Harvey took career best figures of 8-101 against South Africa A at the Adelaide Oval two months ago. "Ian Harvey bowled really well, an eight-for in any form of the game is a brilliant effort," said captain Katich.

Two years earlier Harvey, who has played 53 one day internationals but no Test matches, took career best one-day figures of 4-28 in Katich's only limited overs appearance for Australia.

Harvey and Katich have played against each other on several occasions in Australia.

But they are now preparing to pit their wits against each other for the first time in the county championship as Gloucestershire were in the first division when Katich played for second division Durham in 2000.

Harvey's natural flair for the one day game has seen him type cast as something of a limited overs specialist but his fast medium bowling has an impressive track record in the four-day game.

He has taken 140 county championship wickets for Gloucestershire at a cost of just 20.28 runs each.

In a championship match against Derbyshire in 2001 he struck a 61-ball century, took match figures of 6-126 and also claimed three catches.

Whether it be with the ball, the bat or in the field, Harvey is the man to watch at the Rose Bowl tomorrow.