HAMPSHIRE are out of the Royal London One-Day Cup after losing a last-ball thriller by five runs against Somerset at The Ageas Bowl.

Needing 251 to beat the south group leaders and reach the quarter-finals, folloiwng Kent's win against Sussex at Hove, Hampshire were all out for 245.

A run-a-ball 35 from Lewis McManus and late sixes from Gareth Andrew and Brad Wheal, after fifties by Jimmy Adams (50) and Will Smith (59), took the game to the wire.

When Wheal pulled Lewis Gregory for the first six of his Hampshire career, after Andrew had launched Tim Groenewald over long-on on to the top deck of the Shane Warne stand, 14 were required from the final over.

Sadly Hampshire’s limited-overs season ended six balls later. Andrew skied the first delivery to point and after a brave effort from Mason Crane, Wheal needed six off the final ball - only for Groenewald to hold on to a smart return catch to bookend.

Hampshire lost wickets regularly after an opening stand of 49 between left-handers Tom Alsop and Jimmy Adams.

Adams, whose 60-ball 50 included the first of Hampshire’s three wickets, and Wheater were both pinned attempting to sweep in successive overs against the slow left-arm of Roland van der Merwe as Somerset claimed four successive lbws.

When Liam Dawson, Hampshire’s captain in the absence of Sean Ervine (Hampshire’s latest victim to a football injury) became the first of leg-spinner Max Waller’s two scalps, the home side required 129 from 22 overs.

The required rate was more than seven an over from the last 14 when Ryan McLaren chopped on against a straight-on Waller variation.

With Smith a reassuring presence, it was game on. But he gloved an attempted hook and McManus’s latest gem ended as he attempted to paddle.

Hampshire had done very well to restrict Somerset to 250-9 after a century stand between Mahela Jayawardene (55) and Jim Allenby (69).

Crane was once again outstanding. He broke the partnership with the big scalp of Jayawardene - Adams was practically prostrate when he caught the former Sri Lankan captain at deep mid-off after slipping on the wet outfield.

Bowling round the wicket, Wheal had Allenby caught at leg gully after top edging a pull (the Somerset captain eventually left the field after seeming to query the legitimacy of the leg-side field).

The excellent Crane bowled Tom Abell behind his legs and Andrew produced a one-handed catch-of-the-season contender that rendered James Hildreth incredulous after a venomous cut. Sadly he could not produce more heroics in the final over.