Nick Knight turned the clock back 12 months by launching the Cricinfo Championship with an undefeated 140 in Warwickshire's generally comfortable progress to 297 for 3 against relegated Hampshire.

The England left-hander began last summer with a career-best 233 against Glamorgan at Edgbaston but his international career was knocked off course when he broke a finger in the Second Test against the West Indies at Lord's.

A knee injury then kept him out of the one-day international squad in Kenya and Pakistan in the autumn and he only returned for one innings against Sri Lanka in March.

So Knight welcomed a chance to recuperate on a slow but amiable pitch when Hampshire captain Robin Smith chose to bowl first with his battery of six seamers.

Collecting 16 fours from 320 balls in a well-organised innings - accumulative rather than destructive - he put his side in a good position during partnerships of 92 with Mark Wagh (46) and an unbroken 192 with Dominic Ostler, unbeaten with 76 at the close.

Hampshire were given a good start when Warwickshire's new captain, Michael Powell, fell at second slip off Alex Morris for a duck, but England paceman Alan Mullally was to be the only serious threat to Knight & Co.

Wagh was bowled without playing a shot and Mullally hit the stumps for a second time to dismiss David Hemp cheaply during his first four overs after lunch.

Knight gave a half-chance in the gully off John Stephenson on 73 and reached his century from 228 balls with a pull for four off Championship debutant James Hamblin. In all he batted for six and a half hours and shared the day's honours with Mullally, who had figures of 2 for 31 in 23 overs.

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