The last time Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen appeared on the same cricket field together was at The Oval last September.

You remember. England had just won the Ashes, Pietersen had hit a breathtaking 158, his highest Test score, and Warne was magnaminous in defeat.

Seven months on, and Pietersen fired Hampshire to a dramatic eight-run C & G Trophy win with his highest one day score for the county against the Essex Eagles - after Warne had lost the toss on his return to The Rose Bowl.

In his tenth one day match for Hampshire, Pietersen blasted 98 from 74 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes.

His previous best was the 80 from 50 balls he hammered in Hampshire's record National League score of 353-8 against Middlesex at Lord's last year.

Pietersen also bettered his previous highest score in the C & G Trophy, the 76 he made at Shropshire at the beginning of last year's glorious cup run.

And he looked set for the fifth one day ton of his county career before he was given out lbw as he attempted to sweep the off spin of Jamie Middlebrook in the 26th over.

Pietersen had rescued his teammates from the dire straits of 12-4.

His innings was a treat for Rose Bowl regulars who had previously seen him shine in one day matches on his home ground - but for England and not Hampshire.

Last season, he made just three Rose Bowl one day appearances for his county, scoring five on his home one day debut against the same opponents and three and 11 against Gloucestershire and Northants, before joining up with the England squad.

Yesterday he played more like he did for England at The Rose Bowl last June, when he made 77 against a Hampshire XI, and 34 in the Twenty20 win against Australia.

A virtuoso Pietersen performance has never been more important for Hampshire than yesterday, when the county found themselves 12-4 in the sixth over with Nic Pothas, John Crawley, Sean Ervine and Dominic Thornely all dismissed.

Overnight rain delayed the start by 30 minutes and reduced the game to 49 overs a side, as well as providing the side bowling first with ideal conditions in which to make full use of the white ball.

Darren Gough capitalised with the second delivery of the match, when he found Pothas's edge, and the former England man had Ervine caught behind in his next over.

Then Crawley was caught at first slip and Thornely was castled in Andre Adams' third.

At that stage there appeared to be only one winner but Hampshire benefited from two slices of good fortune.

Pietersen, having scored just one, was dropped by James Foster off what turned out to be Gough's final delivery.

Gough, a close pal of Pietersen's, limped off with a hamstring injury, and with the former England man out of the attack, a 117-run partnership in 17 overs between Pietersen and Michael Carberry dragged Hampshire back into the match.

Pietersen reached his half century off just 40 balls, including sixes over long on off Graham Napier, and a trademark loft over the mid wicket boundary off Ravi Bopara.

The 25-year-old added a third six over mid wicket off Grant Flower's left arm spin and Michael Carberry supported him well with 34 from 41 balls, including five fours, before he was bowled in the 23rd over.

Pietersen followed three overs later but Warne contributed 30 from 31 balls, including a six over deep backward square leg off Middlebrook.

Dimitri Mascarenhas (29) and Shaun Udal (23) also contributed before the ever improving James Bruce hit a career best 19 not out from 23 balls to set Essex 258 to win.

It was a tremendous effort to salvage such a target from the wreckage of 12-4.

But a captain's innings from Ronnie Irani (41 from 56 balls) and partnership of 95 in 18 overs between Andy Flower and Bopara made Essex the favourites, despite an excellent spell from Billy Taylor (1-31) in his first appearance of the season.

A brilliant piece of fielding from Warne gave Hampshire hope and then the captain took two wickets in as many balls as the last six wickets fell for 34 runs in six overs.

Warne fielded a fiercely hit drive off his own bowling from Bopara before running out Flower (49 from 53 balls) at the bowler's end.

Six overs later, Bopara (54 from 74 balls) was bowled by a slower ball from Thornely to leave Essex needing 41 off the last five overs with five wickets left.

But Bopara's dismissal sparked a dramatic collapse.

Ryan Ten Doeschate was trapped lbw as he attempted to sweep Udal in the following over.

Then, with the first two deliveries of his second spell, Warne dismissed Middlebrook and Adams.

Napier played and missed at the hat-trick ball, but was caught by, who else, but Warne in the covers in the following over.

Gough hobbled out with a runner but gave Essex hope with seven from five balls.

With one wicket remaining, Essex needed 23 to win from the last two overs and that became 15 from the last six balls.

Foster (15 from 10 balls) threatened to deny Hampshire by hitting the first ball of the final over from Thornely for six over long on.

But after failing to make contact with the next delivery, he holed out to Udal at mid on as Warne's men secured a dramatic win in front of a Bank Holiday crowd of more than 3,000.

It extended Hampshire's winning run in the C & G Trophy to seven games.

Next up for the holders is Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday, where Pietersen will play again.