HAMPSHIRE’S extraordinary run of T20 success continues.

A seventh successive quarter-final beckons after they defended 143-7, their lowest total of the season at The Ageas Bowl, to win by six runs.

Will Smith (2-18), Danny Briggs (1-18) and Yasir Arafat (4-37) were particularly impressive as Somerset were restricted to 137-8.

It looked like a win would be far more straightforward when Michael Carberry and James Vince were putting on 80 for the first wicket Carberry was at his best as Hampshire reached to 56-0 from the first six powerplay overs.

His 41-ball 57 included 14 in three balls against Craig Overton’s first in the second over. Carberry pulled the first of his three sixes over the short boundary and dished out similar treatment to a Jim Allenby full toss.

The pick of his eight boundaries was a lofted cover drive for six against Peter Trego as Hampshire reached 69-0 in the seventh over.

Carberry raced to a 29-ball fifty and Vince’s driving was as usual, of the highest order. But Hampshire stalled when their captain was run out by Jamie Overton at the end of the ninth over.

The architect for Hampshire’s collapse was Max Waller who took 3-17 from four outstanding overs of leg-spin.

Wheater was caught reverse sweeping his first ball in the excellent Waller’s second over as Hampshire stuttered to 84-2 at halfway.

Waller bowled Owais Shah (9)and Will Smith (4) in successive overs with his top-spinner.

But Berg made 21 vital runs during the last five overs.

And, fortunately, Somerset’s batting line-up was not as intimidating as that which chased down Hampshire’s 167-3 at Taunton in June. Marcus Trescothick has only played once since and Chris Gayle is long gone.

Ventnor’s Adam Hose (20), a former club teammate of Danny Briggs, threatened an upset before he and Jim Allenby fell in the space of three balls during Arafat’s first over.

Somerset were 113-6, needing 31 off the last two overs, when Arafat bowled Lewis Gregory with the last ball of the 18th.

Craig Overton smashed the next ball, from Chris Wood (3-0-24-1), for six but two balls later his brother Jamie was bowled to leave 20 required off the final six balls.

Both Overtons were out two balls later. And after Johnn Myburgh failed to make the most of a free hit following an Arafat no-ball, the game was all but when the former Hampshire batsman struck the penultimate delivery of the night for six.

“I’m so happy we got over the line,” said Vince. “I thought we were under par at halfway on a pretty good pitch so for the lads to come out and defend that total with the ball and in the field was outstanding.”

Arafat said: “I was just doing my job! I’m used to bowling the death and powerplay overs, it’s what I do. 

“When I signed for Hampshire I knew they always played at Finals Day and the main thing is to get there again.

“When we started we thought 170-180 was par but luckily I got two very important wickets in my first over. 

“It was my job to deliver and I actually enjoy the pressure. In the last few games I’ve got the ball to reverse swing and that’s always a big plus at the end.”

Hampshire bowling: Smith 4-0-18-2, Wood 3-0-24-1, Berg 1-0-10-0, Arafat 4-0-37-4, Briggs 4-0-18-1, Crane 4-0-28-0