AGAINST all the odds, the Hampshire Hawks stole third spot from Surrey in division two of the Pro40 league.

The Brown Caps had a two-point advantage and a superior run-rate over the Hawks and were playing bottom-of-the-table Somerset.

So Hampshire needed them to be thrashed in the west country to stand any chance.

And that is what happened, as Surrey crashed to a seven-wicket defeat in Taunton.

That opened the door for the Hawks - and even without their injured captain Shane Warne they did the business, scoring 220-5 on their way to a five-run victory over Yorkshire, which booked their place in a play-off game with Glamorgan at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, September 17.

Greg Lamb was the star of the victory as he top-scored with 64 and then took a career-best 4-38, including bowling the final over.

Stand-in skipper Shaun Udal won the toss and Lamb, batting at number three, was soon at the crease as Michael Carberry lasted just three balls.

Lamb and Australian Dominic Thornely - with his third successive half-century - added 103 in 19 overs for the fourth wicket.

The Aussie's latest innings - his last for the club this season after being recalled by New South Wales - included a massive hit over extra cover, which laid the foundations for the Hawks' 220-9.

Yorkshire's reply saw captain and opener Craig White's 42-ball 50 get his side off to a good start.

Middle-order batsmen Michael Lumb (33) and Andrew Gale (36) kept them in the hunt.

As news arrived of Surrey's demise, Hampshire now just needed to win to have a crack at the promotion play-off.

However, the White Rose county were still in the hunt - needing 65 off 10 overs - and debutant Adam Lyth (23) and Richard Pyrah (25) looked threatening as both scored at a run a ball.

Cue Udal to get rid of Pyrah, but Yorkshire were down to 50 runs off the last 42 balls, The Hawks' Lamb responded with a maiden as the home side's required run-rate leapt up to 8.3 runs an over, with six left to play.

Tim Bresnan then swung the game back in Yorkshire's favour with successive legside sixes.

Suddenly, the target was down to 22 off 18 balls, but Lamb responded by bowling Lyth and James Bruce had Bresnan caught at mid-wicket in the penultimate over.

Simon Guy then thumped Bruce to the extra-cover boundary, leaving Yorkshire needing nine to win off the last over, bowled by Lamb.

Sub Warne held on to a screamer at mid-wicket to see off Ajmal Shahzad, then Mark Lawson was run out.

Yorkshire's last pair needed six from three balls after Guy scrambled two leg byes, but Chris Benham held onto a crucial catch as Hampshire completed the win with two balls to spare.