LIAM Dawson has targeted at least two wins from the last five matches if Hampshire are to repeat last season’s Great Escape.

Dawson, fresh from his first Specsavers County Championship century of the season, knows how important a win at Trent Bridge is to their survival chances.

It was where they completed last season’s Great Escape and victory over the next few days would take them above Notts at the foot of the first division.

“We probably need to win two or three matches between now and the end of the season – but we’ve got nothing to lose,” wrote Dawson in his Wiltshire Gazette column.

“There are still a couple of teams that can be dragged into those bottom two. If it takes until the last hour of the last day, we’re prepared to take it that deep.

“We were given Monday and Tuesday off this week and that was ideal just to make sure that we’re relaxed physically and mentally for what’s going to be a massive game.

“This is an exciting time of the year and you’ve just got to be up for it.”

At the same stage of last season Hampshire were bottom of division one on 86 points, 18 points adrift of nearest rivals Sussex and 21 shy of third-from-bottom Worcestershire, who occupied the nearest safety position.

They went into the Trent Bridge clash, which starts tomorrow, on 95 points - four off their nearest rivals and another 23 behind third-from-bottom Surrey What gives them hope is that they have already beaten Notts this season and have a game in hand on Surrey - who they play at The Oval in their penultimate match.

It was at this stage of last season that Hampshire registered the first of back-to-back 21-point wins, against Warwickshire and then Durham, before beating Notts on the dramatic final day of last season.

They took 77 points from their last five matches to finish on 163 - two clear of Sussex, who were relegated with Worcestershire.

They will need a similar return from a five-match run-in that includes three of last season’s last five in Notts, Somerset and Durham.

But there are very different circumstances this time.

Hampshire are without James Vince, Michael Carberry and Sean Ervine as well as Fidel Edwards, whose 46 wickets in his debut season included 32 at 17. 3 in the last five matches, while Mason Crane is not the unknown quantity he was last time around.

Nevertheless, they remain confident of completing the double against the only side they have beaten over four days in the Championship this season (by 69 runs at The Ageas Bowl in May).

“It’s a double-pointer but the spirit is very good and our form against Notts is solid - but we have a battle ahead,” said director of cricket Giles White.

Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said: “I think it’s a game where if anyone loses they are in serious trouble, there’s no doubt about that.

“A draw wouldn’t be a disaster, I think both teams need to start winning games and we want to win this one to get us closer to the teams above us.”

“I think it’s fairly important that there is some sideways movement in the pitch.

"I think against Somerset (the last home championship match), when we got into days two and three there wasn’t a lot of sideways movement, so that is obviously something that we are aware of, along with Steve Birks, our head groundsman.

“We don’t want to produce a dry, flat pitch that just gets flatter over four days. I don’t think that’s going to benefit us, so we need some movement and some carry in the wicket and that’s what we’ll be hoping Steve will provide.”

Newell expects Hampshire to feed off the memories of their eight-wicket win on the last day of last season. “They were in a similar position last year and turned it around by winning games at the back end.

“This is a very tough division but by no means are we the only two in trouble.

“Whoever wins this game will be so much closer to the teams in sixth and seventh in the table.”

Run-ins 
Hampshire: Notts (a), Somerset (a), Yorkshire (h), Surrey (a), Durham (h).
Nottinghamshire: Hampshire (h), Yorkshire (a), Durham (a), Middlesex (h), Somerset (a).
Surrey: Warwickshire (a), Lancashire (h), Hampshire (h), Durham(a).