Jimmy Adams hit a career-best one-day score of 86 to ease Hampshire to a 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.

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

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

Adams ensured that was never in doubt, hitting eight fours in his 98-ball innings, with good support coming 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.

Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick looked in superb form when Somerset began their innings, but 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.

Yet teenager Liam Dawson bowled Hildreth behind his legs sweeping and also saw off Arul Suppiah for figures of two for 10 from three overs of left-arm spin.

Steffan Jones removed Michael Lumb with the Hampshire reply on only 17 with 197 appearing to be a par total.

But Carberry timed the ball well in helping Adams add 51 for the second wicket, before stepping across his stumps and falling lbw to Charl Willoughby.

Adams reached a chanceless fifty off 66 balls, with five fours, and he and Benham comfortably maintained the required rate.

Benham was eventually stumped off Omari Banks, but by then the Hawks needed only 23 off more than five overs.