It was only a week ago that Hampshire's season seemed to be beyond repair.

Wasim Akram had just left, Ed Giddins' chequered career had entered its latest chapter and Glamorgan had dominated the first two days of the championship match at the Rose Bowl.

How quickly Hampshire's fortunes have changed.

At Trent Bridge last night John Francis scored the winning runs off the last ball as the Hawks avenged their Rose Bowl defeat against Notts in their last National League game.

This Sky-televised six-wicket victory comes three days after the historic follow on win against Glamorgan and catapults John Crawley's side back into the promotion positions and, at the same time, sends out a warning to the rest of division two.

Man of the match Crawley featured prominently in a thrilling and perfectly-timed run chase that also included classy contributions from Simon Katich and Derek Kenway under the dim Trent Bridge floodlights.

But it all came down to the nerve of Francis, pictred, and Dimitri Mascarenhas when Crawley chipped the first ball of the penultimate over from Chris Cairns to former Lancashire teammate Jason Gallian at mid-wicket.

With the Hawks needing 14 runs from the last nine balls, Mascarenhas clubbed Cairns for a huge six over mid wicket to bring down the run rate to a run a ball.

And with seven needed off the last over, Mascarenhas released the tension by driving left armer Greg Smith for two.

But this match looked destined to be decided on the last ball and so it proved. With Francis on strike, Smith added to the drama by collapsing as he prepared to bowl.

His fall looked more genuine than tactical but, no matter, Francis kept his composure and drove the final ball past the despairing dive of Cairns at short extra cover to end a remarkable few days for Hampshire Cricket.

But yesterday began badly for Hampshire when Cairns won the toss ahead of the day/night clash and, inevitably, asked the visitors to bat second, when the light was at its worst.

Notts had lost every floodlit game they had played at Trent Bridge, a run of five games dating back to 1998, while the Hawks arrived with five successive floodlit defeats behind them.

Something had to give and the good news for Hampshire fans was that it was the Hawks ' day/night hoodoo.

There was little doubt that Notts were favourites after totalling an impressive 249-6. That never looked likely when Mascarenhas took the wickets of Gallian, who was caught at short extra cover, and Usman Afzaal in his first two overs.

But a partnership of 122 in 24 overs between Russell Warren and Kevin Pietersen formed the basis of the home side's total.

Pietersen was dropped on the mid-wicket boundary by James Hamblin when he had made 40 but he top edged an attempted sweep after facing 71 balls for his 58.

Katich added the wicket of Cairns in his next over - but only after the Kiwi had slogged a mammoth six over wide mid on.

The New Zealander cut the next ball tamely to Alan Mullally at point but England star Chris Read, who shone with the bat at the Rose Bowl recently, continued the momentum - 90 runs were added off the last ten overs.

Read smashed 38 off just 20 balls, including a lofted six in an expensive last over from Chris Tremlett and another maximum hit over mid wicket in the final over from Mascarenhas.

Warren, the mainstay of the Notts innings, was Mascarenhas's third victim, caught at deep mid wicket in the final over for 91 after scoring seven fours and two sixes in more than two hours at the crease

When Hawks replied, opener Simon Katich's third successive National League half century was immaculate - until he was sent packing by the third umpire.

After dominating a 51-run stand with Hamblin, he put on 64 in 12 overs with Kenway before Barry Leadbeater took three minutes to decide he was run out following Paul Franks' throw.

The Australian had reached his fourth National League fifty of the season in 58 balls by square cutting one of his nine fours and he also hit Stephen Randall's off spin for a six over wide mid on before he was run out by millimetres.

Kenway, who did not concede a single bye on his return to wicketkeeping duty, added 69 in 13 overs with Crawley before he hit the first ball he faced after reaching fifty straight to mid wicket.

Enter Francis, who arrived at the crease with the light at its worst but hit an unbeaten 28 from 34 balls.

He pulled a Randall full toss for six and cover drove the off spinner for one of his four fours next ball.

He and Crawley added exactly fifty in eight overs, with his skipper capitalising on several loose balls from Richard Logan in scoring 58 at nearly a run a ball.

Crawley also lifted Randall over mid on for a rare six before watching Francis and Mascarenhas keep their nerve.

He said: "It was a very good pitch but to chase 250 in the twilight was a good effort. Simon and Derek got us off to a very good start but we played well all the way through."