EVEN superman found himself weakened by Kryptonite.

But if there is anything out there that might derail Shane Warne this summer, opposition counties remain unable to discover it.

Injuries and international commitments had left the Hampshire Hawks team to face the Gloucestershire Gladiators yesterday looking somewhat frail in all departments.

Indeed, prior to the game, manager Paul Terry had talked of the need for his players to stand up and be counted.

But a challenge has always brought out the best in Warne.

He might have been in the air for more than 12 hours on Friday night following the hasty cancellation of Australia's Test series to Zimbabwe, but the Hampshire captain looked determined to prove that jet-lag can't affect a cricketing superman.

With the considerable help of 6ft 5in Aussie Michael Dighton - who blazed a record-breaking 74 on his Hampshire debut - Warne dominated the match, taking 4-27 and then scoring a quick-fire 48 as the Hawks secured a four-wicket win.

Batting first amid early afternoon sunshine, Gloucestershire's innings smouldered away promisingly in the early stages, but only briefly caught fire.

Yet, with Hampshire's bowling attack severely blunted by the unavailability through injury of Dimi Mascarenhas and Chris Tremlett, the Gladiators did take the early initiative.

New Zealand opener Craig Spearman lived up to his dangerman reputation, with the seam attack of Billy Taylor, James Tomlinson and Alan Mullally unable to make any inroads.

Spearman dominated, racing to 50 at a-run-a-ball as Gloucestershire put on 88 for the first wicket.

Enter Warne.

After starting with a long-hop which suggested the long-haul flight might not have been completely shaken off, the Aussie legend clicked into gear.

In his third over, he took the prized wicket of Spearman, deceiving the 31-year-old for wicket-keeper Nic Pothas to stump.

Opener Philip Weston continued to play the anchorman, but the pace of Gloucestershire's innings slowed somewhat until he was caught by Derek Kenway off Warne for an 111-ball innings of 75.

The very next Warne delivery sparked confusion between Alex Gidman and Matt Windows, with the Hawks' skipper scooping up the ball on the run to turn and dismiss Gidman with a direct hit.

That bought 22-year-old Shoaib Malik to the crease and the Pakistani all-rounder immediately dished out some fairly brutal treatment to the likes of Taylor and Udal on his way to a 32-ball 50.

But back came Warne, just as a score in excess of 250 loomed, to dismiss both Windows and Malik in his final spell.

Warne stood out among the Hampshire bowlers, but he was particularly well backed up by young Tomlinson, who had several half-chances put down.

James Hamblin, pictured left, got Hampshire off to a brisk start, dispatching Mike Smith and James Averis with a variety of improvised strikes as the Hawks moved past 50 off ten overs.

But Kenway's miserable run in the National League continued when he was run-out for 12, with Hamblin following shortly after for 42 from 39 balls.

That brought Aussie duo Dighton and Warne to the crease.

On Saturday, Dighton had played club cricket up in Scotland for Glasgow-based team Greenock.

But the departure of Michael Clarke and Shane Watson for the one-day series in Zimbabwe next week brought forward the Tasmanian's debut.

He played himself in to begin with and put on 68 in 11 overs with Warne, until the latter holed out to Chris Taylor at long-on off Michael Ball.

That only seemed to provoke a marked acceleration in Dighton's innings.

He cut loose to all areas of Bristol's County Ground with useful back-up from Lawrence Prittipaul, before finally being caught at long-off from the bowling of Ball for 74.

His innings surpassed Clarke's 68 against Warwickshire earlier in the summer as the highest score from a Hampshire debutant in the 35-year history of one-day Sunday league cricket.

The job was almost done and it was left for Udal and Pothas to coolly see Hampshire home with nine balls to spare.