Simon Katich's highest National League score for Hampshire was not enough to stop the Hawks slumping to a first defeat in five one-day league games yesterday.

Katich's 56, his third half century in five National League games, and an unbeaten 45 from Nic Pothas provided the backbone of Hawks 208-7.

But the Nottinghamshire Outlaws reached their target with two balls to spare when Chris Read pulled Wasim Akram to the fence 24 hours after helping England beat South Africa in the Natwest Series final at Lord's.

Jason Gallian had played the anchor role to perfection at the top of the Notts' order to help Hampshire slide out of the promotion places.

Prittipaul dropped a difficult chance at second slip off the bolwing of Dimitri Mascarenhas which would have dismissed Gallian for eight and Nottinghamshire's championship captain capitalised, making 60 off 94 balls.

Gallian's was the final wicket to fall. Paul Franks had been caught at slip in the 15th over and then Guy Welton struggled, facing 24 balls for his one run and edging the last, a rising delivery from the fit again Chris Tremlett, to Pothas.

When Pothas stumped danger man Kevin Pietersen off a wide ball from Shaun Udal, the fortune was on the side of the Hawks.

Udal had Russell Warren caught in the covers by John Crawley four overs later but that brought Kiwi Cairns to the crease.

Cairns and Gallian added 62 in 11 overs for the fifth wicket before the latter became Pothas's second stumping, this time off the medium pace of Prittipaul.

Gallian scored six fours and a six, a straight hit off Udal, and Cairns' only sixes were struck over mid wicket off the first and third balls of Katich's only over, the 30th.

When Gallian departed Read, who drew praise from Cairns for playing so soon after returning from England duty, then matched his skipper's run a ball rate.

Tremlett bowled superbly in his first game back from injury and after an impressive penultimate over from the 21-year-old it was left to Wasim to stop the visitors scoring the five they needed off the last six balls.

But England one-day gloveman Read ended a memorable weekend by hitting Wasim for two boundaries to seal the visitors' fourth win of the season with two balls remaining. Earlier, Katich resumed his opening role alongside Derek Kenway butthe latter was caught behind by Read in the eighth over.

James Hamblin soon followed Kenway to the pavilion after chipping Paul Franks to Cairns at mid off but Katich added 61 in 13 overs with Crawley before he was caught at the wicket, having faced 78 balls for his 56, which included nine boundaries.

When Crawley was bowled by a ball that kept low in medium pacer Clough's next over a Hawks collapse threatened but John Francis added 56 in 11 overs with Pothas, whose 45 not out boosted his National League average to a healthy 136.

Left hander Francis's 44-ball 34 included the Hawks' only six of the day - a pull over mid wicket - but he was bowled by the very next ball from Daniel Vettori.

Dimitri Mascarenhas was bowled by a slower ball from Greg Smith and Lawrie Prittipaul was yorked by the South African left armer in the same over.

Pothas and Wasim added some quick runs lower down the order and Pothas, whose unbeaten 45 came from 47 balls, swept the last ball of the innings from Smith for four.

But a total of 208 looked below par and so it proved.