Hampshire are back on the top of the T20 Blast’s South Division – after a sixth win in seven games.

Michael Carberry (59) and Jimmy Adams (52) hit nine sixes between them as Hampshire made 170-6 after losing the toss against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium.

Then another outstanding bowling performance, with Matt Coles (2-25) to the fore, put Hampshire in charge before West Indies star Darren Sammy blasted 28 from 14 balls, including successive sixes against Kyle Abbott.

No matter.

With 19 needed from the last 12 balls, a phenomenal catch by an airborne Adams at long-off saw off Sammy at the beginning of a miserly penultimate over from Wood.

And with 14 required from the last over, Abbott also kept his nerve at the death as Hampshire secured a six-run win to return to the top of their group above Essex on run rate, ahead of tomorrow night’s big clash against Surrey at The Oval.

Hampshire’s innings was one of two halves, with Carberry and Adams outstanding in putting on 61 from 32 balls for the second wicket.

Only once before has a Hampshire T20 innings included more sixes (there were 13 in the county’s record total of 225-2 against Middlesex in 2006), and they all came during the first 13 overs. Carberry dominated the strike during the powerplay and, after a circumspect first two overs, cut loose in devastating fashion.

Only Glenn Maxwell and Nic Pothas have hit more sixes in a domestic T20 innings for Hampshire than the five Carberry managed from 40 balls.

Jim Allenby and the excellent Michael Hogan (2-28) were soon hit back over their heads, the latter with a flat-batted ‘forehand’ seen more often this week at SW19 than the Swalec.

Carberry launched Andrew Salter’s off-spin for another as Hampshire reached 53-1 at the end of the powerplay (Carberry had 43 after facing 29 of the first 36 deliveries).

Adams followed his lead, a short-arm pull against Will Owen (2-21) giving him the first of his four sixes.

After reaching a 34-ball fifty, Carberry continued his assault by advancing down the track to hit his final six, a glorious straight hit against Dean Cosker, who was treated with disdain.

Veteran slow left-armer Cosker conceded 22 from his first over, which also featured Adams’ second maximum over mid-wicket, as Hampshire reached 92-1 at the end of the ninth.

At that stage, they were on course for 200-plus.

But Sammy’s change of pace put the brakes on and then Owen – a late call-up due to injury despite taking three wickets in Glamorgan’s win at The Ageas Bowl six weeks ago – took the first of two big wickets.

Successive Adams sixes - the first landed in the River Taff and the second was drilled hard and straight - hit Cosker out of the attack.

But then Maxwell slogged his seventh ball to deep mid-wicket and, after reaching a 26-ball fifty, Adams became Owen’s second scalp.

Hampshire only managed 46 off the last seven overs but an impressive powerplay with the ball saw Glamorgan stutter to 32-1, with Coles’ slower balls again proving very effective.

With Jacques Rudolph already back in the pavilion, Jim Allenby became Briggs’ 100th T20 victim when he was caught at the wicket after a run-a-ball 23.

Mark Wallace gave Glamorgan hope with a 23-ball 38 that included two sixes in three balls against Sean Ervine - before he was bowled at the end of the same over.

Needing 84 from the last eight overs, the last thing Glamorgan wanted to face was the canny Coles, who responded with two wickets in three balls. An excellent catch in the deep by Wood soon accounted for Stewart Walters and a brute of a first delivery to Ben Wright flew through to Wheater via the outside edge.

The target was reduced to 36 from 18 balls when Wood conceded successive fours and then a six against former Bournemouth CC star Chris Cooke.

But Wood responded by conceding just five off the penultimate over to revive memories of his 2012 final heroics on the same ground.

And Abbott kept his nerve after Sammy’s onslaught to see out the final six balls as Glamorgan closed on 164-6.