Dimi Mascarenhas lit up a rainy day in Cardiff with a 78-ball ton as Hampshire scored a record 531-7 against Glamorgan.

Mascarenhas was unbeaten on 17 when play eventually started at 2.05pm but, after reaching his first fifty off 58 balls, he accelerated.

The 25-year-old needed only 20 balls to complete his century - and former England bowler Robert Croft, who was captaining the Welsh county in the absence of Steve James, bore the brunt of the onslaught.

All four of Mascarenhas's sixes were hit off the off spin of Croft, including a sweep that flew over the mid-wicket boundary and the roof of the pavilion.

Hampshire's day had begun badly when Nic Pothas was caught behind by a diving Mark Wallace in the first over, having added six runs to his overnight 81.

But that brought Wasim Akram to the crease and he put on 39 for the seventh wicket with Mascarenhas, before driving a simple catch to mid-off, having made 23 from 21 balls.

Shaun Udal played his part, scoring 32 quick runs in an unbroken stand of 105 with Mascarenhas, whose pyrotechnics strengthened Hampshire's stranglehold considerably.

He scored 13 fours as well as his four maximum hits during his two hours at the crease.

A straight six on to the sightscreen took him to 99 and he prodded the next ball from Croft into the off side for the third first class ton of his career.

Mascarenhas, who spent the winter in Western Australia playing for Melville and being coached by Paul Terry, said: "The wicket was very slow. It was very flat and very low - a good batting wicket - and it was just nice to be able to take my natural game out there.

"I knew that we were only going to bat on for another ten overs after getting 400 so I had to treat it like a one day game."

John Crawley declared on 531-7, Hampshire's highest first class score against Glamorgan as soon as Mascarenhas had scored the fastest hundred of the county season so far.

He had contributed 83 of the 150 runs added in the 17.5 overs bowled by Glamorgan yesterday, leaving the home side a mountain to climb without the injured James at the top of their order.

With the forecast for today and Saturday hardly cricket friendly, early wickets were paramount but Derek Kenway dropped a sitter at first slip when Glamorgan were 16-0.

Wasim Akram had found the outside edge of left hander Ian Thomas's bat but the ball, which would have been as slippery as a bar of soap, popped in and out of Kenway's hands.

Thomas was on seven at the time and his opening partner Adrian Dale had his own share of luck before he nicked Chris Tremlett to Nic Pothas.

Third slip Alex Morris and second slip Will Kendall had both missed chances to catch Dale off Tremlett and Wasim respectively before Pothas made it third time lucky.

But Kendall held on to a brilliant diving catch at gully to remove Thomas, who had put on 71 for the second wicket with fellow left hander David Hemp after failing to get over the top of the ball with an attempted cut. Fittingly, the bowler was that man Mascarenhas.

l Shane Warne revealed that he is contemplating a reversal of his decision to retire from one day international cricket after it was confirmed that he will receive an Australian

Cricket Board contract for the 2003-04 season despite being banned for 12 months.

Warne, who cannot play until February 2004, is on a three year contract with the ACB and will be paid pro rata for the period between February and July.