Somerset are still in the hunt for the Pro40 Division One title after easing to a six-wicket win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

The Sabres made light of the absence of skipper Justin Langer to restrict Hampshire to 205-7 in their overs after the hosts won the toss.

A breakneck opening stand of 78 in 11 overs between Marcus Trescothick (44) and Craig Kieswetter (81) ensured victory was always going to be a formality.

Somerset must still win their final two games - away to Worcestershire tonight (4.40) and at home to Durham a week on Sunday - to claim the silverware.

Sussex remain favourites. They have one game left - against Worcester on the final day of the season - and if they win it their lead will be unassailable.

But the improvement in Somerset's limited overs cricket this year is clear. Having been an inconsistent outfit for so long, they have won 19 out of 25 completed fixtures this year.

After Kieswetter was hopelessly dropped by Chris Tremlett off Dimi Mascarenhas on two, Trescothick launched a fearsome assault, making light of a slow pitch.

The stand-in captain clobbered three sixes and five fours in a 31-ball 44 to dominate the initial stand with his wicketkeeper.

Trescothick tried to launch Hamza Riazuddin for a fourth maximum but skied a slower ball to extra cover and after that the scoring slowed markedly as James Hildreth tried to play himself into form. But the extra pace of Tremlett forced him to play on for 12.

The introduction of left-arm spinner Danny Briggs sparked new life into Kieswetter, who reached his fifty with a lofted four - his sixth boundary - from 68 balls before depositing the next over deep midwicket for a huge six.

Zander de Bruyn made an untroubled 25 before being bowled by Sean Ervine and Kieswetter holed out to cover off Riazuddin.

But Pete Trego and Arul Suppiah finished the job with no fuss.

Earlier, Somerset had restricted Hampshire, largely thanks to season's best Pro40 figures of  three for 36 from Charl Willoughby which removed the top three home batsmen.

Willoughby encouraged Jimmy Adams to hook to one-day debutant Jos Buttler at deep square leg for two.

He then trapped the dangerous Michael Lumb in front for 28 in his first over after Trescothick had switched him to the Northern End before removing Sean Ervine's off stump for 10.

Hampshire's England Under-19 star James Vince was threatening to wrest the initiative away from the visitors but he played down the wrong line to Ben Phillips for 20 and was bowled.

Liam Dawson's 34 ended when he lifted de Bruyn to Pete Trego at long-on and Chris Benham got a ball that stopped on him from Phillips which he could only pop up to cover for 42.

After Nic Pothas was lbw to Alfonso Thomas reverse-sweeping, Hampshire needed two sixes from Mascarenhas off de Bruyn to lift them over 200 but it was never going to be enough.

For full details see the next copy of the Evening Post or Western Daily Press