HAMPSHIRE HAWKS BEAT NOTTINGHAMSHIRE OUTLAWS BY SIX WICKETS WITH FIVE BALLS REMAINING

A John Crawley masterclass sent the Hampshire Hawks to the top of the Pro40 first division last night.

Opening batsman Crawley timed his unbeaten 97 to perfection as the Hawks successfully chased a target of 215, to win by six wickets with five balls to spare against the Nottinghamshire Outlaws at a floodlit Rose Bowl.

A 95-ball 81 from David Hussey, Shane Warne's former Victoria teammate, had helped the Outlaws make 214-8 after winning the toss.

But Crawley shared in stands of 88 with Michael Lumb and 72 with Dimitri Mascarenhas, both at more than a run-a-ball, as the Hawks secured a second Pro40 win in four days following Sunday's thriller against the Essex Eagles.

Despite the reassuring sight of Crawley at the crease a minor Hawks collapse of three wickets in four Graeme Swann overs gave the Outlaws hope.

Lumb top-edged an attempted slog-sweep in Swann's first over, and then Sean Ervine(1) edged a beauty before Benham was trapped lbw by the former England U19 all rounder.

Swann gained significant turn and his efforts saw the Hawks slip from 88-0 to 120-3.

When Michael Carberry (14) was bowled through the gate by the part-time slow left arm of Samit Patel, the Outlaws were confident of victory despite the absence of three frontline seamers in Charlie Shreck, Mark Ealham and Paul Franks.

But Mascarenhas struck the ball cleanly and scampered between the wickets for a vital 32* from 30 balls, including two fours, to ensure that Crawley's efforts were not in vain.

Crawley was his usual imperious self through the leg side and he stroked Patel for the winning runs with his textbook extra-cover drive with five balls left of an absorbing contest.

He fell three runs short of his first one-day hundred of the season but his 97 (116 balls) was still his highest one-day score for a year.

Crawley did not offer the Outlaws a chance and belied his 35 years with his strong running between the wickets, especially during his partnership with Mascarenhas.

When he was batting with Lumb with the field restrictions in place during the first 15 overs, the crowd of more than 5,000 was treated to a succession of boundaries.

Lumb thumped 53 from 47 balls, including seven fours - four of which came in one Kyle Hogg over - and a huge six over mid-wicket against the same bowler.

The spin of Rob Ferley and especially Swann (3-22) ensured that the match went to the last over, but while Crawley was at the crease the Hawks were always in charge on another good one-day wicket at the Rose Bowl.

James Bruce had dismissed openers Swann (7) and Outlaws captain Stephen Fleming (23), who was expertly caught by his opposite number Warne at second slip, before Hussey took the visitors to 214-8.

Bruce produced outstanding figures of 2-27 in his eight overs, including the wicket of Mark Wagh (46) at the beginning of his second spell following a terrific one-handed catch by Nic Pothas.

But the Outlaws increased the Hawks' target with 34 runs from the last three overs of the innings.

Hussey opened his shoulders against Daren Powell during a dramatic 38th over, hitting successive sixes and then a four against the West Indian.

He lifted Powell's slower ball over mid-wicket and then produced a colossal straight hit against the Media Centre.

Hussey could not maintain the onslaught.He was sensationally caught by a diving Lumb on the fine-leg boundary and Chris Read (15) hit the very next ball to Carberry, who took a catch on the run at long off.

The Hawks took their third wicket in four balls when the returning Sean Ervine had Bilal Shafayat well caught at the wicket by Pothas for a first-ball duck.

That ensured the Outlaws were restricted to what Warne believed was a below-par total.