NIC POTHAS booked Hampshire a C & G Trophy quarter-final place at Surrey with his maiden one-day hundred for the county.

Pothas' unbeaten 114 helped Hampshire complete an emphatic six-wicket win against Glamorgan in Cardiff with 10.5 overs to spare.

Exactly two years to the day since Saints played Arsenal in the FA Cup final in the Welsh capital, Hampshire showed why it will take a very good side to stop them reaching their first Lord's final since 1992.

Kevin Pietersen continued his rich vein of form with a 64-ball 69 but Pothas deservedly won the man of the match award for 127-ball effort as Hampshire passed Glamorgan's 214 total with ease.

Pothas was back to his best after recovering from a knee injury last week and hit the winning runs with his only six - a straight hit against left armer Dean Cosker - to ensure Hampshire a place in the last eight.

But after opening the batting, Pothas had to stay calm following the early departures of Simon Katich and John Crawley.

Seamer Andrew Davies bowled Katich with the second ball of the innings, which the Australian played on, and then Mark Wallace took a smart low catch to end Crawley's 57-run partnership with Pothas in the tenth over.

Shane Warne decided to promote himself and Chris Tremlett as pinch-hitters during the opening 15 overs, but he was caught behind after prodding forward to Simon Jones and Tremlett offered a simple return catch after being deceived by a slower ball four overs later.

But then Pietersen joined Pothas at the crease and the pair began on an unbroken 130-run stand in 23 overs.

Pothas reached his half century at exactly a run-a-ball and brought up his ton in 120 balls by square driving Simon Jones for the 11th of his 12 fours. But he played the anchor role after Pietersen joined him.

Pietersen was top of the Sky Sports Sixes league with 12 maximums in one day cricket before hitting another four yesterday.

He chipped the hapless Cosker over deep mid-wicket for two successive sixes, one of which sailed over the pavilion and into the car park, and in the first over of Jones' second spell he lifted the England bowler over the mid-wicket boundary.

Jones was only playing after passing a fitness test on his injured back on the morning of the game but Cosker, who was hit for five sixes, took more stick when he returned from the River End, when he was lifted straight back over his head by Pietersen.

Sean Ervine's first five-wicket haul for the county was largely responsible for Glamorgan's below-par score.

He did not play at all for Western Australia last winter, where he was registered as an overseas player, but the quality the Zimbabwe rebel provides to Hampshire was evident.

The impressive Tremlett (3 for 32) made the vital breakthrough after Glamorgan had got off to a flier, when Robert Croft, who had won the toss, played on in the seventh over.

But after replacing the expensive Richard Logan, whose two overs cost 25 runs, Ervine (5 for 50) got Ian Thomas to top edge a half-hearted square cut to Warne at slip.

Ervine also ended the biggest partnership of the Glamorgan innings by bowling Michael Powell, who tried to pull a ball that kept low, after contributing to a 62-run stand for the fourth wicket with after David Harrison had chopped Warne on to his stumps. The wicket of Powell, who hit Warne for two sixes in his 73-ball 56, was crucial to Hampshire.

But he was bowled in the first over of Ervine's second spell and three overs later Australian left- hander Matthew Elliott slipped out of his crease as he tried to take on Shaun Udal.

After Elliott's exit, Hampshire tightened the noose and Glamorgan only added 32 runs from their last ten overs.

Seamer Ervine added the wickets of Darren Thomas, left-hander Davies, who was caught at by Greg Lamb at deep mid-wicket, and Dean Cosker in the space of four overs.

And after returning for his second spell Tremlett accounted for Mark Wallace before finishing off Glamorgan with eight balls of their allocation remaining by bowling David Hemp.