Hampshire are hoping to extend Stuart Clark's stay at the Rose Bowl.

Clark took 7-82, the best figures by a Hampshire bowler for six years, during the rain-affected draw against Lancashire last week.

They were the 31-year-old's best figures in the championship.

His previous best haul was the 5-61 he took in one of his 12 appearances for Middlesex in 2005, but after Clark's efforts in his second outing for Hampshire, Shane Warne is hoping to extend his compatriot's stay beyond June 20.

That is when Clark is due to return to Australia and, if he was to leave then, it would mean the fast bowler has already played the last championship home game of his stint.

He is due to play three more championship matches for the county - all away from home against Kent at Canterbury, Warwickshire at Edgbaston and Sussex at Arundel.

Warne said: "At the moment we've got Stuey for three more away games. It would have been nice to have him bowling again at the Rose Bowl but if we play our cards right we might be able to persuade him to stay for the whole year.

"Obviously there are a lot of things that come into it. It's also about what Cricket Australia want, but at the end of the day if he feels he is better off preparing for the Australian summer with us we need to do what's right for Stuart Clark."

Director of cricket Tim Tremlett confirmed yesterday that Hampshire's contact with Cricket Australia regarding Clark's availability is an "ongoing process".

Australia do not play in either form of the game until September, when the one-day series against Zimbabwe may not even go ahead.

John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister yesterday ruled out any chance of Australia touring Zimbabwe but the series may yet be played at a neutral venue.

Hampshire's Friends Provident Trophy (South Conference) match against Gloucestershire was abandoned without a ball being bowled yesterday. Their next fixture is a floodlit FP TRophy game against Somerset at the Rose Bowl on Friday.