Wes Durston boosted his hopes of a new contract with Somerset, but could not prevent the Sabres' Champions League hopes being dented.

The Glastonbury all-rounder was called in to replace the departed Marcus Trescothick and scored the second fastest fifty so far in the competition.

But Durston's 57 out of 132-8 was not enough to prevent the Diamond Eagles from coasting to a five-wicket win in Hyderabad.

Durston barely featured for the Sabres during the domestic season and was even made available to leave on loan.

He has not yet been offered a new deal but yesterday's efforts have done no harm to his chances of further employment at Taunton or elsewhere.

He said: "I am very pleased to have made the most of my chance especially after how patient I have been and that my future is still up in the air."

"It was an amazing experience that I will never forget."

Once again it was a failure from the top order that cost Somerset.

CJ de Villiers rocked the Sabres when he had both Craig Kieswetter and Arul Suppiah leg before wicket and Zander de Bruyn caught at mid-off.

Justin Langer then ran past off-spinner Thandi Tshabalala's first ball and was bowled for 12.

Pete Trego fell victim to a remarkable, one-handed caught and bowled from Alan Kruger for six to reduce the Sabres to 52-5.

James Hildreth survived a missed stumping chance on 17 by wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk off Tshabalala.

But Durston struck three successive boundaries to help bring up the 100 and also survived a diving chance at short extra cover off Ryan McLaren.

Three more successive fours off the previously parsimonious de Villiers helped take Durston to a 26-ball fifty – his first ever half-century in T20 cricket.

Durston finally went when he scooped a de Villiers slower ball to long-on to end a sixth-wicket stand of 77 in 53 balls.

Ben Phillips made a four-ball nought before he was brilliantly caught, one-handed, at short fine-leg and Hildreth (31) then picked out long-on off Jandre Coetzee in the final over.

When the Eagles batted, Rile Rossouw threatened to dominate but the left-handed opener tried one shot too many off the last ball of the second over and skied Charl Willoughby to Alfonso Thomas at mid-on for 13.

And Willougby was handed another wicket in the sixth over when Adrian McLaren flicked him high to Durston at short fine-leg for 13.

Max Waller claimed the desperately-needed wicket of Boeta Dippenaar when he had him caught at long-off by the safe hands of Durston for 18.

But from 77-3 a steady stand of 49 between van Wyk (47) and Ryan Bailey took the Eagles to the brink before the former tried to pull Thomas and skied to short fine-leg, where wicketkeeper Kieswetter ran around to take a good catch.

However, the Bloemfontain-based side eased home with eight balls to spare despite a further wicket for Thomas when he had Bailey caught in the gully for 29.