JUST for a while it seemed that Hampshire's team of thirty-somethings might complete a trinity of unexpected victories in the NatWest Trophy this year.
But, having surprised both Essex and Middlesex in previous rounds, Hampshire found Lancashire's bowling too disciplined after restricting them to a total that looked inadequate on such a good pitch. So Lancashire go through to their 10th 60-over final.
After making a complete mess of their last 20 overs, Lancashire then bowled superbly, particularly before tea when Hampshire slumped to 28 for five in the 17th over.
Peter Martin showed exactly why he has been recalled to England's one-day squad with a top-class opening spell of 6-1-14-2, while at the other end Ian Austin bowled six typically dead-eyed overs that cost only four runs.
Austin built up so much pressure that Jason Laney, an instinctive stroke-player, was restricted to just a single from 19 balls. Trying to break free, he slashed at a rare wide ball and dragged on.
It was Martin, however, who made crucial early inroads. His outswinger was working nicely, but it was a ball that he pushed into John Stephenson with which he won an lbw appeal.
The two quick wickets brought Robin Smith to the crease much earlier than he would have wanted - in the sixth over. Martin soon bowled an absolute beauty to him, finding his edge with an outswinger which demanded a stroke.
Not long after, a pair of useful leg-cutters from Andrew Flintoff and Glenn Chapple accounted for Giles White and Adrian Aymes respectively.
Had Michael Atherton not put down a straightforward enough chance at slip off Flintoff when Kevan James was on seven, Hampshire would have been 41 for six in the 20th over.
It took another 28 overs for Lancashire to part the sixth-wicket pair, but by then Hampshire were falling further and further behind the rate. Mike Watkinson, only playing because Wasim Akram was out injured, got some turn and was difficult to get away, as was his accurate fellow off-spinner, Gary Yates.
James and Dimitri Mascarenhas, gold rings dangling from both ears under his helmet, each compiled competition bests, setting a county 60-over sixth-wicket record of 104.
But the task of scoring 112 off the last 10 overs was never really feasible if Lancashire managed to keep their heads. Nixon McLean swung Chapple for two straight sixes in an over, but could not repeat the trick against the canny Austin.
Lancashire, put in, found a dry pitch that offered no undue early morning movement. Atherton and John Crawley still took considerable care to see the new ball off, being given little to score off by Cardigan Connor, who was only able to play thanks to a pain-killing injection in his hip. He conceded just 13 in an eight-over opening spell.
Atherton fell in the 17th over at 48 when he edged a ball angled across him by James. Neil Fairbrother then joined Crawley for what proved to be a match-winning partnership as they put on 116 in 23 overs.
Stealing singles, finding the gaps, deflecting cheekily, Fairbrother gave yet another tutorial in the art of mid-innings batting in the limited-over game, scoring at almost a run a ball to reach his fifth consecutive one-day fifty. He hit only five boundaries, but one was the shot of the day - a six over extra-cover off Shaun Udal after he had used his feet stealthily.
Lancashire were heading for 300-plus when Fairbrother was second out at 164 in the 40th over, victim of a stunning one-handed diving catch at midwicket by Stephenson.
However, Hampshire then tightened up their bowling, and thanks to a combination of pressure and inept batting, Lancashire slumped to 209 for seven by the 53rd over.
Warren Hegg kept his head to see his side safely past the 250 mark, but Crawley's skilfully-paced 79 from 141 balls was the crucial contribution.