Hildreth and Kieswetter fire for Somerset

James Hildreth and Craig Kieswetter's fourth-wicket stand of 62 led Somerset to a confident seven-wicket win over Worcestershire at Taunton, chasing down a testing 177 with apparent ease to level points with both Northamptonshire and Warwickshire in a congested table. Stephen Moore smacked 40 from 26 while Moen Ali offered 36, but it was Ben Smith's brutal 44 from just 24 balls which propelled Worcestershire's total. On a typically flat surface, however, Marcus Trescothick got the home side off to a rollicking start with 34 from 17 balls, crashing four fours and two sixes, sharing in an opening stand of 61 with Justin Langer (44), before Hildreth (48 from 37) and Kieswetter, who scorched 31 from 17, powered them home.

Kadeer Ali and Ian Saxelby held their nerve, edging Gloucestershire over the line to beat Northamptonshire by two wickets with one ball to spare Northampton. Chasing 134 Gloucestershire lost William Porterfield for a golden duck, and soon slipped to 86 for 4. Grand Hodnet held firm with 60 from 46, but Nicky Boje rattled the middle-order with two quick wickets leaving Gloucestershire tottering on 122 for 7. Ali remained calm, however, cracking a six and a four in his unbeaten 21. Ian Harvey was the mainstay of Northamptonshire's innings with 43 from 36 at the top of the order, but the table-leaders were rolled for a disappointing 133.

Jonathan Trott continued his impressive form, while Rikki Clarke cracked 24 from 21, as Warwickshire eased past Glamorgan by four wickets at Edgbaston, to create a fascinating three-way tussle at the top of the table with Northamptonshire and Somerset. Jamie Dalrymple (63) and Mike Powell (39) provided the bulk of Glamorgan's innings, and the visitors made an early breakthrough in Warwickshire's reply when Neil Carter fell to David Harrison for 12. Trott, however, cracked 33 from just 17 while Jim Troughton lifted three sixes in his electrifying 29 from 13 balls, leaving Clarke to do the rest with seven balls to spare.

Middlesex reached their highest total of their dreadful defence of the Twenty20 Cup, but nevertheless fell to their seventh successive defeat, as Chris Tremlett picked up two vital wickets to hand Hampshire a 28-run win at the Rose Bowl. For once, Middlesex made a promising start. In pursuit of a sizeable 184, Billy Godleman, stroked and clipped his way to 57 - not only his highest of the season, but the first Middlesex fifty of their campaign. He reached the landmark with a thumping smash over deep midwicket for six as he and Owais Shah approached their 100-run partnership, but his wicket - trapped in front by Imran Tahir - spelled the end for Middlesex. Tremlett was brought back into the attack and removed Eoin Morgan, who briefly threatened with 18, and the big-hitting Tyron Henderson, who did not. Bowling fast and straight, Tremlett really tightened the noose, and with Morgan's wicket Middlesex required 45 from 19, a task too great for a struggling side. Michael Lumb set up the hosts' impressive total with 93 from 52 while Dimitri Mascarenhas made 23 from 16. Hampshire are hitting Twenty20 form at just the right moment, and have closed the gap on Sussex to two points with a game in hand.

Fifties from David Warner, the young Australia left-hander, and Phil Mustard helped Durham to a facile six-wicket win over Derbyshire at Derby. Stuart Law made 53 in Derbyshire's underwhelming 153, but Warner and Mustard made light of it, flaying 96 for the opening wicket. He, Kyle Coetzer and Mustard all fell in quick succession, but Ian Blackwell's 13 saw them across the line with two overs to spare, to keep Durham's hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals alive.