HAMPSHIRE were blown away by T20 superstar Chris Gayle last night.

After managing only two sixes in their 167-3, Hampshire conceded EIGHT to Gayle alone as they were beaten by eight wickets at sun-soaked Taunton. 

All eyes were on Gayle, the world's highest-scoring T20 batsman, following his unbeaten 151 from only 62 balls, with FIFTEEN sixes against Kent at Taunton last Sunday.

That was in a losing cause but gun-for-hire Gayle’s blitz against Hampshire - an unbeaten 85 from only 49 deliveries - secured his latest side a comfortable win, with nine balls to spare.

He was kept in relative check for a while, thanks largely to his former Windies teammate Fidel Edwards (4-1-20-1).

When Marcus Trescothick was caught at third man at the end of Edwards’ first over, a rare powerplay wicket maiden, veteran Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego even outscored his illustrious teammate with a 34-ball 51 during their 89-run, 59-ball stand.

But after beginning his latest blast with two dot balls against Will Smith’s off-spin, Gayle ensured the capacity, 6,500 crowd got its money’s worth.

Chris Wood was the first Hampshire bowler to feel the full force of Gayle’s blade, conceding 16 from three balls, included two sixes that flew over long-on like tracer bullets, in the fifth over.

Left-hander Gayle was dropped by Smith at mid-wicket on 36 at the start of the 12th over, off Briggs.

The off-spinner felt the cost when he was hit for two straight sixes as Gayle reached fifty (36 balls, three fours, four sixes)at the end of the next over.

A pulled six off the front foot against Yasir Arafat and a third maximum against Wood, over long-off and into the building site at the new Pavilion End, was soon followed by another over long-on against Briggs.

The partisan crowd was in raptures when Gayle, with the scores level, pulled Arafat for his eighth six midway through the 19th over.

"I'll be having a few ciders with the lads to celebrate," said Gayle afterwards. "The crowd pumped me up at the end and I was able to finish the game with the six they were calling for.

"I love the atmosphere at Taunton and I'm looking forward to another home match against Surrey before I leave.

"I'm sorry my time here is so short because things could hardly have gone better. It was good team performance today. We bowled and fielded well."

Hampshire’s 167-3, after winning the toss, was always below-par for one of the country’s best batting tracks.

James Vince made his second fifty in all formats this season, a timely reminder to the England selectors after this week's omission from the ODI squad.

His unbeaten 63 (54 balls, seven fours) contributed to an opening stand of 46 from 31 balls with Michael Carberry (20) as Hampshire made 51-1 from the powerplay.

But the first of Hampshire’s two sixes did not arrive until the 14th over, when Owais Shah (16) pulled Max Waller’s leg spin.

If it was not for Ervine’s unbeaten 30 from 17 balls – including scooped fours and a straight six against former teammate Sohail Tanvir (1-37) - Gayle would have made even faster work of Hampshire’s total.

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: "The crowd came to see Gayle and were royally entertained by a fantastic innings.

"From our point of view, we felt we were 15 runs short because Somerset bowled particularly well and then we failed to take our chances in the field, dropping both Trego and Gayle at vital times."