Hampshire's hopes of a first trophy in 11 years were blown away by Lancashire Lightning at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

Winning promotion to the National League by beating glamorous Lancashire in front of a bumper home crowd would have helped heal the wounds from a painful season.

It might only be the second division but victory yesterday would also have gone a long way to giving the Rose Bowl trophy cabinet its first silverware.

But the 45-run defeat against Carl Hooper-inspired Lancashire means that even promotion is now uncertain. When Dimitri Mascarenhas helped reduce the league leaders to 52-4, after former Lancashire captain John Crawley had won the toss, the Hawks were giving the crowd some welcome cheer.

All-rounder Mascarenhas strengthened his England one-day credentials with 2-20, another miserly performance topped off with the wickets of Mark Chilton and Stuart Law in his third and fifth overs.

Lancashire struggled to get bat on ball early on when Mascarenhas and Chaminda Vaas were unplayable with the new ball. Chilton and Law had already survived stumpings against the opening pair before they were sent packing.

But that man Carl Hooper stamped his class on the Rose Bowl, batting patiently before opening his shoulders in devastating fashion.

Hooper and Chapple put on 144 in 22 overs after Alan Mullally had removed Mal Loye for in his first over and that man Mascarenhas's brilliant diving catch at mid off had given James Tomlinson the wicket of Chris Schofield.

Chapple was rewarded for his brave hitting with some fortune.

Mullally missed a half chance at mid off when Chapple had made 17 but James Tomlinson will be rueing his drop in the covers, off the bowling of Lawrie Prittipaul, when Chapple had made 43.

Chapple finished unbeaten on 66, which came from 83 balls, included five fours and a six. It helped Lancashire add 111 in their last 15 overs - including 17 off the last six balls from Vaas.

But it was Hooper's performance that was the difference between the sides. He survived an appeal for a run out when he had made three but his innings was chanceless. It included an array of attacking strokes, including a straight six against Udal.

He was eventually out in the 42nd over, at the end of which the 3,500 crowd had to persuade the players to do an about turn when a brief but heavy shower threatened to bring them off.

An abandoned game at either Middlesex or Derbyshire would give Hampshire the two points that, thanks to their relatively high run rate, should be enough to secure them third place and promotion.

But yesterday threatening black clouds could not save them from what, in the end, was a big defeat. If Hampshire were going to win they needed a big innings from either Simon Katich or Crawley but the result was never in doubt when the pair had their middle stumps uprooted.

Derek Kenway and Katich departed in successive overs early on but John Francis gave Pothas some support, straight driving John Wood for Hampshire's only six before nicking a wide one two balls later.

Pothas became the first of Hooper's three victims four overs later - his 85-ball 58 included eight boundaries - and then the last five Hampshire wickets fell for just 43 runs in ten overs.