Dawson's five leaves Somerset wooden spoon

Hampshire 181 for 3 (Alsop 85) beat Somerset 98 (Allenby 40, Dawson 5-17) by 83 runs
Scorecard

Tom Alsop crashed his highest NatWest T20 Blast to help Hampshire thrash Somerset by 83 runs - to condemn the visitors to the South Group wooden spoon.

Alsop, on just his eighth Twenty20 appearance, timed and slapped his way to his first format half century.

Stand in captain Liam Dawson bagged his first Blast five-for with figures of five for 17 as Somerset's chase never got going.

Alsop started as he meant to go on, after Liam Dawson won the toss and batted, stroking two boundaries through mid-wicket in the first over.

Hampshire, who were already resigned to playing youngster after long being knocked out, were further hindered when captain Sean Ervine was injured in the warm up and Adam Wheater was struck down by an illness.

Those absentees meant there was a place for teenager Jake Goodwin to make his senior debut, and he took his chance opening up with Alsop.

The pair put on a platform building 83 for the first wicket, with the promising Goodwin scoring 32 before he was stumped off fellow Blast first-timer Dominic Bess.

Meanwhile, Alsop was clattering everything coming his way, two maximums sailing over the ropes on his way to a maiden format fifty, the seventh of his senior career, off 34 balls.

Pakistani Shahid Afridi, on his last Hampshire performance, entertained in a 12-ball cameo, where he bagged 21, but drilled a full toss straight to short extra cover.

Another 50 partnership between Alsop and Dawson, standing in for stand in Ervine with James Vince on international duty, followed.

Alsop was closing in on three figures but was running out of time to reach it, and with 14 balls left in the innings he opened up - firstly he was dropped at deep mid-wicket but a ball later he departed for 85.

The hosts setting Somerset 182 to win, and it did not start well as Adam Hose was caught behind in the second over off Ryan McLaren.

South African McLaren was back in the wickets when Peter Trego skied to Gavin Griffiths at mid-on and the Lancashire loanee bowled James Hildreth an over later as the chase faltered.

Tom Abell was next to fall, the first of the evening to spin, as Dawson tempting him to cut to a fine diving Alsop.

Dawson took two in two balls, Ryan Davies bowled and Josh Davey stumped, and then Afridi joined in when Jim Allenby - a rare positive with 40 - swept to short fine leg.

England T20 star Dawson had Bess bowled and Max Waller snaffled deep on the leg side to complete his best analysis in twenty over cricket.

Brad Taylor ended the annihilation by castling Oliver Sale, giving Hampshire their fourth win of the campaign as both sides bowed out.