BRITISH Universities fought gallantly in defence of their modest score of 209 and only seven balls remained when Dimitri Mascarenhas, who finished unbeaten with 52, scored off only 48 balls, drove a four to clinch the issue.

The students, put in after losing the toss, were in danger of a heavy defeat at 100 for six halfway through their innings. That they stretched Hampshire to almost the full distance was due to the all-round skills of Robin Martin-Jenkins, who won the Gold Award.

Batting with a cool head in a crisis, he scored 39 off 53 balls. His new ball partner, David Leather, was his main ally in resuscitating a sinking innings with 48 crucial runs for the eighth wicket. Leather finished unbeaten with 42.

Martin-Jenkins's capture of the wickets of Shaun Udal and Jason Laney during an accurate opening spell then set Hampshire back on their heels. Leather had Giles White caught in the covers, and Hampshire slumped to 31 for three.

Matthew Keech and Robin Smith stabilised the innings with a partnership of 47 that spanned 16 overs. Apart from pulling a four off Greg Loveridge, the leg-spinner, Smith was held in check and whatever momentum Hampshire gathered was due to Keech, who made 74, off 91 balls, with nine fours.

It was no doubt the mounting pressure that led to Smith being run out. Keech then found a resolute partner in James, who stayed 10 overs while 49 runs were added, with Keech capitalising on anything loose that came his way.

But James, attempting a rare aggressive gesture, was stumped and then, with 47 still wanted and only eight overs left, Keech was caught at midwicket from a firm clip off the legs, leaving the Universities looking the likely winners.

Their initiative would not have so easily been wrested from them had Singh immediately brought back his frontline bowlers, Martin-Jenkins and Leather. Instead, he brought on Will House, off whom promptly Mascarenhas plundered 10 runs, including a straight six. Eighteen were wanted from the last three overs, but an on-driven four off Leather by Mascarenhas, followed by another six, in the first of them put the issue beyond doubt.