Hampshire (228-6) bt Middlesex (202) by 26 runs

Sean Ervine kept the Hampshire Hawks in contention for a first one-day trophy in three years with another match-winning Lord's hundred.

Ervine signed a new two-year contract last week and celebrated with an unbeaten 103 (76 balls)in a dramatic 26-run win against the Middlesex Crusaders.

It was the left-hander's first one-day ton for Hampshire since his 104 in the 2005 C & G Trophy final win against Warwickshire at Lord's.

And it helped lift the Hawks a point clear of four counties.

The quartet in Hampshire's slipstream all have a game in hand, but the Hawks' last two Natwest Pro40 matches are both at the Rose Bowl, against the second-placed Durham Dynamoes under floodlights next Monday followed by a Worcestershire Royals side likely to be without the injured Simon Jones a week on Saturday.

It is well within Hampshire's ability to finish the season strongly by staying in the LV County Championship's first division and winning what would be a first one-day trophy for three years.

Especially if Ervine continues his Lord's form.

Recalled after missing Hampshire's three previous Natwest Pro40 games because of an ankle injury, Ervine arrived at the crease amidst a top-order collapse.

Hampshire slumped from 48-0 to 61-4, but Ervine and Liam Dawson responded with a 100-run partnership in 18 overs.

Dawson was outstanding and was named man-of-the-match by Sky Sports for the second time in 11 days after producing career-best performances with bat and ball.

He played like a batsman at the peak of his game, not a teenager barely old enough to drink his champagne.

But while he was crafting his 59-ball 45, Ervine provided the big-hitting.

The left-hander saved the most satisfying of his four sixes for former teammate Shaun Udal, the Hampshire captain on that glorious day three years ago.

Ervine accelerated after Dawson holed out to mid-on.

With four overs of the innings remaining, he hit Udal for 14 from three deliveries, following succesive fours, swept and driven over extra-cover, with a maximum hit over mid-wicket.

The Hawks ran riot, taking thirty runs off Tyron Henderson's last two overs.

After launching another six over mid-wicket, Ervine began the final over needing 12 for his hundred.

He got there with three successive leg-side fours and continued his fine afternoon with a sensational diving catch at slip to account for Ben Scott.

There had been controversy when Middlesex captain Ed Joyce questioned former teammate Imran Tahir's diving catch at mid-off.

Television replays supported Tahir, who bowled excellently in tandem with spin-twin Dawson, who doubled his one-day wickets tally for Hampshire with a career-best 4-45.

Dawson has already claimed some big scalps for Hampshire and he added Andrew Strauss to his list of victims when the England left-hander was trapped lbw going back to a ball that turned sharply out of the footmarks.

Strauss (71 from 77 balls) put on 63 with Eoin Morgan who fellowed his more illustrious left-hander to the pavilion in the next over, when he made a mess of a reverse sweep against Tahir.

Dawson's penultimate over cost 19 runs but ended with a breathtaking right-handed catch by Jimmy Adams in the covers to see off the dangerous Dawid Malan.

There was no way back for Middlesex after that.

Middlesex bowling: Murtagh 8-0-31-1, Finn 7-0-37-2, Henderson 8-0-54-2, Kartik 8-0-39-0, Udal 7-0-46-1, Berg 2-0-21-0

Hampshire bowling: Mascarenhas 8-1-32-2, Tremlett 7-0-46-1, Taylor 7.4-0-37-2, Tahir 8-0-39-1, Dawson 8-0-45-4