TINO Best says Mason Crane is the best leg-spinner he has seen since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.

Crane, still only 19, finished with match figures of 6-89 after taking the last to Notts wickets at The Ageas Bowl, writes Simon Walter.

Best has been astonished at the quality of his teammate.

He said: “Credit to Mason, leg spin is the hardest art in the world and he’s already a gem at 19. He can flight the ball and he has a wrong ‘un, a drifter, a top spinner . . . seriously, he’s going to be good.

“To master the art so young is brilliant. He gives me a lot of confidence to run in and express myself even more.

“I’ve seen guys try leg spin in the Caribbean and in international cricket and the only guys as good as him are Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.

“He’s impressing me all the time, he’s going to be amazing. He just has to keep that desire to master the art.”

The manner in which Best and Crane dismantled Notts was reminiscent of how Warne, or his Australian understudy MacGill, used to wreak havoc in tandem with Glenn McGrath.

“It’s a good combination but to have [James] Tomlinson working hard, [Ryan] McLaren not going for runs is what makes me and young Crane express ourselves,” added Best, who will be playing in Hampshire’s Natwest T20 Blast opener against Middlesex at Uxbridge tomorrow night.

New captain Will Smith has been delighted with Best’s impact. He said: “He’s phenomenal. The ability to go bang-bang is imperative to a good four-day side and Tino’s added a lot of energy and taken some really good wickets.

“We’re not going to get carried away, but this feels like the first time we’ve put it all together in a full four-day game.”