test2wa

Cricket

Jimmy Adams hit a career-best one-day score of 86 to see Hampshire to a comfortable five-wicket Pro40 win over Somerset at Taunton.

Billy Taylor took three for 23 to help restrict the home side to 197 for eight, after they had won the toss on a slow pitch for this Division One match.

James Hildreth top-scored with 47, while Wes Durston contributed 42 and Justin Langer 40.

Three overs were lost to rain during Hampshire's reply, and their revised target was 186 off 37.

Adams ensured that was never in doubt, hitting eight fours in his 98-ball innings and receiving good support from Michael Carberry and Chris Benham as the Hawks won with seven balls to spare.

The victory took Hampshire above Somerset in the table, and a third defeat in five games for the Sabres almost certainly rules them out as title contenders.

Marcus Trescothick looked in supreme form when Somerset began their innings - but scoring was never as easy after he skied to mid-on and departed for 25 off just 13 balls - having hit four fours and a six.

Langer faced 55 deliveries in all, and the home side quickly lost momentum as Craig Kieswetter could make only five from his 24 balls - batting at three.

Taylor removed Langer and Zander de Bruyn to make it 87 for four, before the best partnership of the innings between Hildreth and Durston. They took heavy toll of leg-spinner Imran Tahir, whose six overs cost 47.

Hildreth picked gaps in the field and found the boundary only twice in his fluent 53-ball knock - while Durston hit two fours and a six. The stand of 82 was characterised by some swift running between the wickets.