Former England opener Michael Carberry enjoyed a fairytale return to first class cricket following his battle with cancer, scoring a century for county side Hampshire in their pre-season fixture against Cardiff MCCU in Southampton.

The 36-year-old lefthander, who was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour last July, scored 100 off 121 balls at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, prompting a standing ovation from the small crowd, British media reported.

Carberry missed the second half of the county season last year as he underwent treatment but returned to training shortly before Christmas and was part of Hampshire's pre-season tour to Barbados last month.

He released a statement last week on his return to the team, expressing thanks for the support he had received during his cancer treatment.

"There is still a long way to go to being 'recovered' fully, but the outpour of support from the cricket family has helped massively in getting me back playing, and I'm looking forward to another great summer with Hampshire," he said.

Carberry, who played six tests for England, his last during the ill-fated 2013/14 Ashes in Australia, has proved resilient in the face of a number of health scares.

In 2010, he was diagnosed with blood clots on his lungs and forced to withdraw from the game to undergo treatment before returning to cricket the following year.