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Jimmy Adams hit a sparkling 90 as Hampshire beat Durham to go top of the NatWest Pro40 first division.

Adams's score came off only 87 balls and included nine fours and one six.

In a rain-affected Durham innings they eventually lost by 62 runs using the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Michael Lumb got the Hampshire innings off to a flying start with a rapid 24 off only 16 balls before spinner Graham Onions snared his first victim in only the fourth over.

Adams then found a willing partner in Michael Carberry and the pair put on a superb partnership of 124 in 18 overs before Carberry was caught for 67.

The Durham bowlers were being treated with contempt by the Hampshire batsmen and Ben Harmison was smashed for 31 off only three overs before being withdrawn from the attack.

West Indian bowler Gareth Breese stemmed the tide with a wicketless spell of 42 from his eight overs - but it was England bowler Liam Plunkett who dragged Durham back into the game.

Plunkett tempted Chris Benham, who smashed a quickfire 69 from only 45 balls, into a wild slash and he was caught in the slips.

Plunkett then ended Adams's innings in the same over just as Hampshire were looking to push the score along.

Dimitri Mascarenhas added 15 before he became Onions's third victim as the south-coast side finished on 298 for seven.

Australian opener Michael di Venuto was bowled by James Tomlinson for two as the Durham innings got off to a bad start.

They were 42 for two when the heavens opened and an hour of play was lost to the rain.

Durham were set a revised target of 212 off 25 overs and the task was beyond them.

Wickets fell regularly and only Plunkett, who top-scored with 23 not out, showed any resistance before the rain started falling again.

The umpires called off the match with Durham on 118 for seven on 21 overs and the north-east side lost convincingly after the umpires invoked the D/L method.

Sporting Life / Eurosport