HAMPSHIRE'S unbeaten start to the season came to a sudden end on Sunday, as the Hawks were crushed by the Lancashire Lightning in the totesport League.

The red rose county maintained their 100 per cent start to the campaign with a seven-wicket win as the visitors' total of 189 proved far too little at Old Trafford.

The only bright spot of the game was a good debut from Hampshire's new Australian, Shane Watson.

He scored 23 runs off 32 balls after being dropped on just two, and also bowled nine overs for 39 runs.

Hampshire's Will Kendall, stand-in skipper for Shane Warne who is away on Test duty, won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a good track.

It looked the right decision early on as Nic Pothas carried on from his successful innings at the Yorkshire game with a 45.

Later, Watson was out with the score on 50-2, fellow Australian Michael Clarke hit 54 off 57 balls, which included three fours and a six off Kyle Hogg.

Disaster struck in a spell of 12 balls as Hampshire lost Clarke, Kendall (18), Lawrence Prittipaul, out first ball, and Shaun Udal, on a third ball duck, to slip to 152-7.

Dimitri Mascarenhas was stuck at the non-strikers end as the wickets fell. He made up for it with a six, and a four off the last ball, to finish unbeaten on 25 runs from 17 balls.

Hampshire scored 17 off the final Greg Chapple over.

The home side's innings was only into its second over when Mascarenhas was hit for three fours out of his first four balls and was replaced after his first over.

Kendall used five bowlers in the first 10 overs, with Alan Mullally knocking back Iain Sutcliffe's off stump in his second over.

Lancashire moved on to 66-2, as Stephen Crook was caught at cover by Kendall off a Tremlett delivery.

However, that was as good as it got as Australian Stuart Law and Mark Chilton set about making sure of the win in 15 overs.

Law's innings of 83 off 74 balls, which included a six and two fours in the space of four Shaun Udal deliveries, was ended by Billy Taylor's catch at mid on from a Clarke ball.

Chilton, with an unbeaten 58, and Carl Hooper, not out 17, completed the victory with 13 overs to spare.