JOHANN Myburgh thumped an unbeaten 54 to keep Somerset top of the Vitality Blast’s south group.

Opening batsman Myburgh, who recently announced he will retire at the end of the season, again made a mockery of Hampshire’s decision to release him after just one game in 2011.

The 37 year-old has now scored 302 runs at 75.5 in his last five innings against his former county, guiding Somerset to a comfortable win against a Hampshire side now with a solitary win from ten games.

Hampshire toiled to a well-below-par 129-8, but Myburgh found the going much easier, stroking eight boundaries.

Myburgh was unfazed by the loss of four partners.

Steven Davies was brilliantly caught in the covers by a diving Liam Dawson, Peter Trego was deceived by Mujeeb Ur Rahman and James Hildreth skied to wicketkeeper Tom Alsop before Dawson had Corey Anderson lbw.

But the South African remained comfortable, reaching his 11th format fifty as Somerset won with seven balls to spare.

Earlier, Lewis Gregory won the toss and elected to bowl on the same wicket that Southern Vipers had posted 159 on a few hours earlier.

Hampshire never got to grips with the pitch though, despite James Vince firmly cutting Max Waller through point first ball and Rilee Rossouw dispatching a six over cow corner.

That was as good as it got for the hosts as the wickets fell with regularity.

Rossouw dragged a full ball to mid-wicket and Jerome Taylor found Vince’s leading edge as Hampshire reached 45-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Alsop soon skied to mid-wicket and Dawson provided a simple catch for point.

Nobody could capitalise on Sam Northeast’s 36-ball 30

The former Kent batsman eventually top edged to short fine leg, before Joe Weatherly was bowled.

Hampshire didn’t manage to strike a boundary between the eighth and fifteenth overs.

Gareth Berg and Dale Steyn took 14 off the final over from Jerome Taylor, comfortably Hampshire’s best of the innings, but they were short of par.

Hampshire captain Vince said: “We were about 15 to 20 runs short.

“We got a bit stuck in the middle and just needed bigger contributions from everyone.

“Fair play to Somerset, they outplayed us. It summed up how our campaign has gone. We haven’t done enough.”