LIAM Dawson inspired Hampshire to a famous Royal London One-Day Cup win against Middlesex at Radlett CC.

Dawson took 1-32 from ten overs as well as three catches before guiding Hampshire to a revised target of 202 in 26 overs, following an electric storm, with a magnificent 68 not out (40 balls, nine fours).

After recovering from an early blitz by New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum, whose 56-ball 74 gave Middlesex the perfect platform after losing the toss, Hampshire did very well to restrict their hosts to 295-8.

Two hours after thunder, lightning and torrential rain forced the players off with Hampshire 12-1 after 4.2 overs, the visitors began their recalculated Duckworth-Lewis chase.

Having lost Joe Weatherley (2) before the rain – the List A debutant was comprehensively bowled after being handed his List A debut in place of the injured Michael Carberry - Jimmy Adams added 62 in eight overs with Adam Wheater.

The partnership ended when Adams (26) skied to deep cover. Wheater, who hit Middlesex captain James Franklin for two sixes in four balls over mid-wicket, was stumped in the next over for a 32-ball 41.

No matter. Sean Ervine and Dawson soon took Hampshire ahead of the D/L par score during a magnificent fourth-wicket stand of 89 in nine overs.

As more rain began to fall, Ervine lofted the slow left-arm of Ravi Patel over McCullum at long-on for six before being bowled for a 32-ball 45.

Hampshire still needed 33 from 27 balls and Dawson was dropped in the deep on 54, with 16 required, when another wicket would have swung the game in Middlesex’s favour.

Will Smith chipped to deep mid-off at the beginning of the final over but Gareth Andrew drove the winning runs with three balls remaining.

It was fitting that Dawson was there at the close. He continued his fine 50-over form as Hampshire fought back valiantly after conceding 74 from the initial ten-over powerplay.

Fresh from his Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lord’s, McCullum hit four sixes and eight fours, four of which came from as many balls against Andrew.

A spectator was fortunate not to be struck after being woken from his slumber by a flat six against former Radlett star Gareth Berg.

Another powerplay maximum was lofted high over mid-wicket against Ryan Stevenson, narrowly avoiding a windscreen in the car park.

McCullum’s opening partnership with Dawid Malan was worth exactly 100 when Mason Crane took the first of four big wickets.

The leg-spinner bowled Malan (25), the scorer of two centuries against Hampshire already this season, through the gate with a beautifully-flighted delivery in the 16th over.

A satellite dish atop a television crew’s van felt the full force of a lofted straight McCullum six off the penultimate ball of Crane’s next over.

But Crane responded with a beauty that turned before being edged by McCullum to Ervine at slip.

Ervine trapped Nick Gubbins lbw for 32 during an impressive spell of his own to end a 76-run stand with Eoin Morgan, who became another big scalp for Crane in the next over.

The England limited-overs captain drove Crane for a straight six during his 47-ball 52 but must have been impressed by what the youngster had to offer before slogging him to Dawson at deep mid-wicket.

Dawson bowled Paul Stirling (2) during and also caught very well in the deep to account for John Simpson and Middlesex captain James Franklin before Jamie Fuller holed out first ball.

Stevenson conceded only three runs off the final over and Tom Helm failed to lay a bat on the last three deliveries as Middlesex were restricted to less than a run-a-ball.

Hampshire bowling: Berg 5-0-34-0, Stevenson 7-0-39-1, Andrew 6-0-40-1, Dawson 10-0-32-1, Crane 10-0-80-4, Weatherley 3-0-17-0, Ervine 7-1-34-1, Smith 2-0-12-0