Robin Smith led Hampshire Hawks to a convincing third win in five National League game against the Scottish Saltires in Edinburgh yesterday.

Smith's second half century of the season in the competition provided the backbone of Hawks' comfortable six wicket win against the Scots, for whom Rahul Dravid made his debut.

It was perfect timing for Smith, who is determined to play in the Twenty20 Cup, which begins with Hampshire's next televised match against Sussex at the Rose Bowl in 11 days time.

The former Hampshire captain joined the in-form Derek Kenway at the crease in the 17th over after skipper John Crawley was out to opposite number Craig Wright, bottom edging an attempted cut on to his own stumps.

Smith proceeded to score a chanceless 82 not out from 84 balls, an innings that featured a glitteirng array of driven boundaries, as well as the winning runs, which secured victory with two overs remaining.

Partnerships of 60 with Kenway, who followed up last week's century against Somerset with a run-a-ball half-century, and 59 with Simon Katich ensured that the result was never in any doubt.

That was after Scotland had been limited to a below par 201 at the Grange CC, where the wicket was good and the boundaries short.

Smith's cover drive for four off the first ball he faced was a sign of things to come.

In all, he finished with ten boundaries during his hour and a half at the crease - most of which were driven off the front foot.

Kenway had continued where he left off against Somerset earlier with James Hamblin at the top of the order.

He was dropped twice, a half chance at cover when he was on 0, and at mid on when he had made 45.

But, on the whole, Kenway continued to play with light feet in making 51 before off spinner Majid Haq got one to break back and hit the top of his leg stump.

Hamblin was only playing because of an injury to Dimitri Mascarenhas, who jarred his back during a training session on Saturday afternoon.

Hamblin batted as a pinch hitter, scoring 26 runs from 28 balls in a first wicket stand of 49 in ten overs.

That gave the Hawks the launch pad they needed and Smith continued the tempo, bringing up his fifty with a cover drive to the fence during his partnership with Katich, who looked set to help Smith see Hampshire home before he was caught at the wicket.

Katich looked comfortable after driving his first ball to the boundary off the back foot but, when he departed in the 40th over, it was left to Will Kendall to accompany Smith.

It was a thoroughly professional performance from the Hawks on a small pitch, where Scotland have already enjoyed a successful run chase this season.

It vindicated Crawley's decision to field first on winning the toss, as did the swinging ball that accounted for Ryan Watson in the first over of the day.

Wasim Akram swung the white ball prodigiously early on but, after Watson was trapped by a late in swinger, Dravid threatened to lay anchor.

Dravid showed no sign of rustiness despite his lack of recent cricket, twice driving Wasim for four.

But Alan Mullally dropped his pace intelligently in going for 21 from his nine overs and was rewarded with the prize wicket.

Mullally found the edge of the Indian's bat by angling the ball across the Test star and Nic Pothas held on to a two-handed diving catch behind the stumps.

Mullally's bowling was impressive but his catch on the run from the fine leg boundary to dismiss the big hitting Dougie Lockhart was even better.

Lockhart looked to have pulled Hamblin for four but Mullally held on after diving full stretch while running at full tilt to reduce the Saltires to 67 for 3 in the 18th over.

Once Kendall's catch at mid wicket ended Greig Williamson's fourth wicket partnership of 62 with Jon Kent in the 31st over, five more wickets soon followed to put the brakes on the run rate.

Postman Colin Smith, the Saltires wicketkeeper, was caught in the deep and a quicker ball from Shaun Udal reduced the home side to 163 for 6 in the 39th over.

South African Kent was still there; he brought up his fifty from 70 balls, but he was boweld in Wasim's first over back.

Successive leg side boundaries from Wright in the penultimate over helped take the Saltires past the 200 mark but 201 never looked enough.

Yesterday's win was a huge boost to Hawks' promotion hopes and the omens are certainly good.

The last time Hampshire played Scotland was in the 1992 Benson & Hedges Cup.

The match was rained off but the team included Paul Terry and Udal - and they went on to win the competition.