HE has won three County Championship titles, but Will Smith’s rates his debut season with Hampshire as the best of his career.

The 31 year-old has been one of the signings of the season following his move from Durham a year ago.

He passed 1,000 Championship runs for the first time in his career after scoring four of his match-saving 142 not out in the penultimate match against Kent last week.

But it is his contributions in all formats that have pleased him most.

Only James Vince and Jimmy Adams have scored more runs on aggregate and his frugal off-spin was one of the main factors in Hampshire’s progress to a record fifth successive T20 Finals Day.

“It’s been my best season, in terms of consistency in all forms, without a shadow of a doubt,” said Smith, following his heroics at The Ageas Bowl on Thursday.

“The only game I missed was the last 50-over game when my hammy (hamstring) was a bit dodgy, but I might have missed that anyway to make sure I was ok for Finals Day.”

Smith has thrived in relatively superior batting conditions at The Ageas Bowl, after seven seasons at Durham. He thrice got close to the 1,000-run landmark for Durham, with aggregates of 978 (2011), 925 (2008) and 889 (2013), so was delighted to get out of the nervous 900s on Wednesday evening.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he smiled. “Getting close so many times is galling but it means I’m doing something right because you can add a few hundred by playing at the Riverside.

“It’s great to do it but to contribute to performances like this is far more important. I’d happily just get 900 runs if it included three or four match-winning hundreds.”

Only Hampshire teammate James Vince and Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell have scored more runs in the Championship’s second division than Smith’s 1138 at 54.19.

“Theoretically it should be easier in division two, but it brings different challenges,” said Smith.

“Every time you go out to bat brings a different challenge, depending on the bowlers, surfaces and conditions.

“But it’s my best season with the bat, certainly consistency wise in four-day cricket. There hasn’t been a period where I’ve had a few games where I’ve failed.”

Smith rates his 16th first-class hundred as one of the best of his career. He kept his head while five of his teammates were dismissed for 18 runs either side of tea, including three in 13 balls at the beginning of the final session.

Having started the final day of the last home game of the season on 66, following the enforcement of the follow-on and the loss of the first session to rain, he was still there at the conclusion.

Hampshire were 248-9, after beginning the day on 110-1.

Smith's ton and James Tomlinson’s stoic resistance meant a maximum of seven overs for the visitors to get the last wicket and the 93 runs they needed, so hands were shaken.

Thankfully, a storm ensured the morning session was a wash out, but Smith believes it led to a little complacency.

“The rain helped us a little but in some respects it hindered us because a few guys came in probably thinking we’d be all right.

“But in the end we just got over the line thanks to Tomo’s barndoor at the end!”

Smith had faced 304 balls, hitting 16 fours while wickets tumbled at the other end.

It was his second Hampshire ton after his unbeaten 151 in the mauling of Essex in June. But that was Essex’s last defeat.

Essex have won five of their last six matches in closing the gap on Hampshire from 44 points to just ten.

Without Smith’s last-day heroics the gap would only be five points going into the last week of the season.

“Given the situation it was definitely one of my better hundreds and knowing what it means to the club to get those extra five points for the draw, it’s right up there,” he said.

“My career’s been littered with highs and lows with no level of consistency but hopefully now I’ll be more consistent.”

Smith’s century came the day after Sean Ervine’s breathtaking 121. It was the perfect way to celebrate the extension of his contract until 2017 and means Hampshire have still only lost one game this season (against Essex at Colchester).

But it does not change the fact that the final match against Glamorgan in Cardiff is a must-win encounter.

Hampshire’s ten-point cushion will mean little if Essex get a maximum points haul of 24 at home to Worcestershire.

Should that be the case, Jimmy Adams’ side would still need 15 points to be assured of promotion – and the maximum available for a draw is 13.

But the good news is that leaders Worcestershire still need six points to secure the division two title.

“We’re confident, but not complacent," said Smith. “We’ve got a nice buffer now but it’s a buffer that means we can’t be secure by getting a decent bonus-point draw.

“We have to try and win but that’s the way we’ve played all year and that has to be the method again.”

Assuming Hampshire go up for the third time, following the promotions of 2001 and 2004, they will face a leap in standard when they play in division one for the first time since 2011.

“It will be tough if we do go up,” admits Smith. “But we’ve got guys here who have played a lot of division one cricket before which will stand them in good stead.

“And as everyone gets a year older and wiser they’re more equipped for the challenges that will come their way in div one. There’ll be no excuses made.”

Hampshire have signed veteran fast bowler Andre Adams for the first three months of next season. “Andre will be a huge plus, he’s got me out endless times, but bowling’s tough and people pick up injuries so we could perhaps do with a little more on that front,” added Smith. “We’ll see what comes of that in the off-season.”