Shaun Udal has vowed to continue the form that made him Hampshire's player of the year for 2002 - after receiving a record £241,000 benefit cheque.

Off spinner Udal, 34, received the bumper cheque from former Hampshire skipper Colin Ingleby Mackenzie, the members' club president, after the committee's AGM at the Rose Bowl.

He said: "The support from the members and supporters has been overwhelming. I'd love to repay them by helping Hampshire have a successful season."

Basingstoke-based Udal was in the frame for the Hampshire captaincy before John Crawley was confirmed as the new skipper last week.

He added: "Obviously I was disappointed not to be asked but John is a good choice. We all respect him and he has our full backing."

Udal, pictured, took 56 wickets at 33.17 and finished fourth in the batting averages with 516 runs at 25.80 last year.

Rod Bransgrove, meanwhile, wants Hampshire cricket to complete a south coast sporting treble this summer.

Saints fan and Hampshire chairman Bransgrove said: "I was at the FA Cup semi-final against Watford and have already booked my hotel in Cardiff - I did that after the quarter final - and hopefully we will be successful ourselves this year.

"It would be lovely to see Southampton win the FA Cup, Portsmouth finish as champions of the First Division and Hampshire getting promoted to their rightful position in the top flight."

Hampshire's season begins at Worcestershire on Good Friday and this week they unveiled a one-year sponsorship deal with the Andover-based shopfitting company the Powell group, who fitted out the Rose Bowl pavilion.

Rose Bowl plc has also finalised a partnership with soft drinks giant Coca Cola while it was confirmed that pop chart favourites Blue and Darius and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be playing at the Rose Bowl in late August.

Now Bransgrove wants Hampshire's cricket team to match the off-field success.

New signing Wasim Akram is expected to make his debut and John Crawley set to make his captaincy bow at Worcester's New Road ground.

Bransgrove, who met Wasim for the first time earlier this week, added: "We've got a tremendous mix of youth and experience this year and Wasim is an excellent signing. It promises to be an exciting season."

Crawley and first team manager Paul Terry are close to deciding the 11 who will take the field on Friday.

But bowling coach Bruce Reid yesterday revealed that Alex Morris, a centurion against Surrey last week, will not be fit to bowl at New Road, as he had hoped.