Chris Gayle wound up his six-match stint in Taunton by helping Somerset to a six-wicket victory over struggling Hampshire at Taunton this afternoon.

It was also the West Indian's highest score of the English summer and his most controlled innings, too.

Having come into the game with 125 runs in his previous four innings, Gayle played with unfamiliar control, to guide Somerset to their third NatWest T20 Blast victory of the summer.

Mahela Jayawardene played his part with an unbeaten 45 as Somerset won with 4.2 overs to spare.

But Hampshire need a miracle if they are to reach Finals Day for a seventh successive year.

They have now lost five of their seven games - more than any other county so far - and trail third placed Sussex in their group by five points. And Sussex still have a game in hand.

Having been asked to bat first, Hampshire were soon in trouble thanks to an ill-advised attempt at a quick single, by Tom Alsop.

The 20-year-old left hander hit the ball straight to Jamie Overton at mid off and set off for a run that was never on. Michael Carberry stood his ground and Alsop was run out by two yards, at eight for one, in the second over.

Carberry helped himself to 17 before top edging a short ball from Overton to Tim Groenewald at third man and seven runs later, it was 32 for three. England batsman James Vince had only just reached double figures when Overton found his outside edge and Ryan Davies took a regulation catch.

Adam Wheater and Liam Dawson added 24 for the fourth wicket before Max Waller dismissed the former with a clever piece of bowling from the River End.

Sensing Wheater's desire to use his feet, he sent a quicker delivery down the leg side where wicket keeper Davies was waiting to execute the most perfect stumping. Will Smith departed off the next ball, lbw to Waller and Hampshire were 56 for five.

Sean Ervine was sixth out, at 88, once again stumped by Davies off Waller and although Shahid Afridi and Dawson put on 34 for the seventh wicket, Hampshire were soon back in trouble, with their final four wickets falling for nine runs.

Dawson, who was run out by Johann Myburgh, at 125 for eight, finished as Hampshire's leading scorer with 46 from 34 balls with four fours and a six.

Overton finished off the visitors by taking the wickets of Gareth Berg and Darren Sammy.

Waller, back in the side at the expense of Yasir Arafat, finished with four for 33 off his four overs while Overton returned the impressive figures of four for 22 off 3.3 overs.

Somerset lost captain Jim Allenby and Peter Trego inside the opening five overs, for four and eight respectively, before Gayle and Jayawardene took up the challenge and took Somerset into a winning position with 67 for the third wicket.

Gayle, who passed 50 off 37 balls, with four fours and three sixes, was eventually bowled by Smith for 52 at 95 for three, leaving Jayawardene easing the host county to victory in the 16th over.