HAMPSHIRE have never been closer to beating Lancashire since they last defeated the Red Rose County in a one-day match - in 1986.

There will be some frayed nerves in the Hampshire dressing room today.

Shaun Udal's side lost by just one run less than 48 hours after the three-wicket Twenty20 win against the Sussex Sharks and have now been defeated in TWENTY SIX successive limited-overs matches against Lancashire.

At the Rose Bowl yesterday Shane Watson's brilliant unbeaten 54 was not quite enough in the face of some expert bowling from Carl Hooper, when the West Indian's experience was needed most.

With 18 needed off the final three overs, Hampshire were favourites.

But Hooper's penultimate over cost just one run - and with the home side needing seven to win at the beginning of the last, he bowled Nic Pothas.

It was left to Watson to hit the last ball for four but the Australian could only manage two to long off, and Hampshire were left to rue a defeat that sees them slip to fifth in the First Division table.

The signs had been encouraging when Michael Brown, on his totesport League debut for Hampshire, provided just the innings his side needed at the top of the order against his home county.

In only the second Sunday League innings of his career, Brown made a mature 35 from 55 balls after recovering from the early loss of his opening partner Udal in the very first over.

Udal drove James Anderson straight to Mark Chilton at extra cover after being dropped by Stuart Law slip off the previous ball.

But Brown, like Anderson a product of Burnley Cricket Club, put on 53 with John Crawley, who was playing his fourth game against Lancashire since leaving for Hampshire two years ago, and hooked Glen Chapple for six before fending Dominic Cork to first slip.

The match swung back in Lancashire's favour midway through the home side's innings, when Crawley drove loosely at Sajid Mahmood's first ball before Michael Clarke and Greg Lamb were dismissed in the space of three deliveries from Anderson.

Lamb was trapped leg before after offering no shot to the England man on his home debut.

And when Dimi Mascarenhas was bowled by a Mahmood off-cutter that kept low, Lancashire were on course to continue their remarkable run against Hampshire.

But Watson and Pothas gave Hampshire a realistic chance of a rare victory against the Red Rose county by putting on 66 in 15 overs for the seventh wicket.

Watson, in his second and final totesport League game of the season for Hampshire - his other appearance was also against Lancashire at Old Trafford in May - scored a marvellous fifty to set up a second tense finish in three days for the Hawks.

Chris Tremlett failed to repeat the lusty blows that gave Hampshire victory at Sussex on Friday night and it was left to Watson to score a boundary off the final ball.

The Baggy Green Caps limited-overs international finished unbeaten on a 60-ball 54 and will be replaced by Shane Warne when Hampshire's captain returns after this week's two Twenty20 matches at the Rose Bowl, the first of which is against Middlesex tomorrow (5.30pm).

Hampshire were made to pay for not capitalising when, having reduced the visitors to 79 for 6 in the 27th over, Dominic Cork and Warren Hegg were allowed to double the Lancashire total in the next 15.

Another miserly spell for Mascarenhas (1 for 12) together with Alan Mullally's 2 for 28 gave Hampshire the initiative.

Billy Taylor took the valuable wicket of Stuart Law in his second over, but had been given out by Jeff Evans in Taylor's first, before Pothas called the veteran Australian back to the crease after admitting that the ball had not carried.

Lamb took two excellent catches at first slip but Hampshire did not have an answer to Cork until Taylor sent the former England all-rounder's off stump cartwheeling in the 42nd over.

Cork's 73-ball 57 included a straight six against Udal and four fours, while Hegg hit 37 balls from 44 balls before he went the same way in Taylor's next over.

They proved to be two match-winning innings on another poor Rose Bowl batting track.

Hampshire will field the same side that played the first three group games for tomorrow's Twenty20 match against Middlesex.

Lawrie Prittipaul is unavailable after suffering an arm injury during the warm-up before Friday's win against the Sussex Sharks.

Hampshire (from): Brown, Clarke, Udal, Crawley, Watson, Lamb, Mascarenhas, Pothas, Tremlett, Taylor, Bruce.