HAMPSHIRE MADE 178-2 (28.2 OVERS), AFTER BEING SET A DUCKWORTH/LEWIS TARGET OF 175 TO WIN FROM 29 OVERS.

Sean Ervine made his highest one-day score since the 2005 C & G Trophy final as the Hampshire Hawks beat Ireland by eight wickets today.

The Hawks were set a revised target because of the torrential rain that followed Ireland's innings of 221-6 from 48 overs.

But Ervine (67* from 74 balls)and Pietersen (66* from 71 balls) took Hampshire to victory with an unbroken third-wicket stand worth 143 in 23 overs.

Ervine, man of the match for his 104 against Warwickshire at Lord's two years ago, reached his first one-day fifty since then from 58 balls (five fours) with two runs through extra cover in the 23rd over.

Those runs also brought up his 100-run partnership with Pietersen, who made his first Hampshire appearance for exactly a year.

Pietersen appeared to be carrying a calf injury but still cracked fours through mid-wicket, point and fine leg to bring up his own fifty from 55 balls in the next over.

And with one run needed and five balls remaining, Ervine clipped Kevin O'Brien through midwicket for four to win the game.

Michael Lumb had been dismissed by former South Africa Test bowler Nantie Hayward in the third over of the Hampshire Hawks' reply.

Hayward, who has been signed by Ireland for their Friends Provident Trophy campaign, trapped Lumb (8) lbw in his second over (18-2).

Lumb's opening partner Chris Benham (13) then nibbled at Dave Langford-Smith's medium pace to herald the arrival of Pietersen in the sixth over (35-2).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stuart Clark, in his first one-day match since playing against Ireland in the World Cup, took two wickets on his limited-overs debut for Hampshire after Shane Warne had lost the toss this morning.

Clark, who took 1-19 against Ireland in his only eight overs for Australia in the Caribbean, finished with 2-36 after three spells against an Irish team that included two of his former New South Wales teammates in captain Trent Johnston and opening batsman Jeremy Bray.

Johnston, one of seven players in today's side that helped Ireland to World Cup wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh, cracked an unbeaten 52 from just 36 balls (three sixes, two fours) as Ireland made 221-6 from their 48 overs.

He and Bray are also two of the six players involved today who lost by eight wickets to Hampshire in Dublin in the same competition last year.

The left-handed Bray was Ireland's top scorer, with 59, that day but this morning the fitness instructor was dismissed for just 4 by Clark, caught by a diving Nic Pothas (7-1).

Then Dimitri Mascarenhas, in his first one-day appearance of the season, dismissed Bray's opening partner and fellow left-hander William Porterfield (26).

After replacing Chris Tremlett at the Northern End, Mascarenhas had Porterfield caught by Warne at slip in his second over as the 22-year-old, who is the subject of interest from Gloucestershire, drove at a delivery angled across him (43-2).

With Ireland 55-2 after 15 overs, the first rain interruption forced the game to be reduced to 48-overs a side.

Warne introduced himself shortly after the restart and in his third over, the Hawks captain had O'Brien (33), one of seven Ireland-born players in the Irish side, caught by Clark after top edging a rare bad ball - a full toss on leg stump - from the Australian (94-3).

Pothas dropped Andrew White on 0 in the following over after diving to his right to the bowling of the economical Billy Taylor.

No matter. Chris Benham plucked a sensational one-handed catch high to his right at second slip as White (6) slashed at Clark (104-4).

When Tremlett returned, he had Gary Wilson (17) caught by Michael Lumb at mid-wicket (131-5).

Then Johnston helped Ireland set the Hawks a competitive total with a sensational display of clean hitting.

The Ireland captain cracked Sean Ervine for a huge six over mid-wicket before Peter Gillespie (55 from 80 balls) was caught at mid wicket by Lumb in attempting the same shot two balls later (164-6).

Johnston (52* from 36 balls) and Kyle McCallan (21* from 15 balls) responded by adding 57 in six overs during an unbroken seventh-wicket stand, which included 41 off the last three overs and 16 off the final over from Tremlett.

After hitting Ervine for another colossal six over mid-wicket in the penultimate over, Johnston lofted Tremlett for a glorious straight six, his third maximum, and a driven four before reaching his fifty with an inside edge from the penultimate ball of the innings.

Hampshire bowling: Clark 10-1-36-2, Tremlett 10-1-58-1, Mascarenhas 7-1-28-1, Taylor 7-1-18-0, Warne 10-1-36-1, Ervine 4-0-44-1