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Somerset beaten by Hants at Rose Bowl.

Craig Kieswetter's 71 wasn't enough to spare Somerset Twenty20 final heartbreak for the second successive season as they went down by the narrowest possible margin to Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

In the most dramatic finish imaginable, the Royals won despite only equalling Somerset's total of 173 because they had lost five wickets, while their opponents lost six.

A book could have been written about the last over alone, sent down by Zander de Bruyn, who was only called upon to bowl because Kieron Pollard had been taken to hospital, having been struck in the face by a short ball from Dominic Cork in the final over of the Somerset innings.

It took more than ten minutes to bowl the last six deliveries, which featured a dropped catch, two missed run-out opportunities and a scampered leg bye to bring the scores level by a batsman struggling with a pulled muscle.

A tannoy announcement had to be made to make most spectators aware of who had won. But it was the Hampshire players leaping about with joy, while Somerset's put their hands to their heads in total dejection.

Marcus Trescothick and his team did not appear aware of the rules in the event of a tie. And there was further frustration in that they could have run out Dan Christian, who despite having called for a runner, left his crease to run himself in the heat of the moment off the final ball.

Afterwards a stunned Trescothick admitted: "It's a moment that will probably haunt me for years. I'll close my eyes tonight and see that leg bye being run.

"We didn't realise at the time that we could have run Christian out. It was a chaotic finish and of course we are bitterly disappointed.because we always thought we were in with a chance."

It was a fine effort by Hampshire and in partcular batsmen Neil McKenzie, the man-of-the-match, and Sean Ervine, who saw them to an unexpected success.

But for Somerset it was a case of bridesmaids again following their defeat by Sussex Sharks in the 2009 final - and the fact that they went so close was no consolation.

Kieswetter's innings helped his side post a challenging 173-6. Peter Trego contributed 33 and at the halfway stage their team looked strongly placed to lift the trophy.

But a disappointing bowling performance allowed Abdul Razzaq (33) and Jimmy Adams (34) make a lightning start in reply and McKenzie's 37-ball half-century plus 44 not out from Ervine looked to have put the result beyond doubt before the extraordinary climax.

Despite all the rain, the final began only ten minutes later than scheduled. Trescothick won the toss and elected to bat, possibly aware that his team had been given precious little time to recover from fielding in the semi-final.

Again the skipper and Kieswetter gave Somerset a good start, Trescothick hitting Chris Wood over cover for six and Abdul Razzaq over long-on for another maximum.

But with the total on 41 in the fifth over Marcus tried one big shot too many and was caught at mid-wicket trying to pull a delivery from Razzaq over the inner ring.

Peter Trego was fortunate to survive a top-edged pull in the same over, the ball falling between two fielders and the wicketkeeper, who were all converging on it.

At the end of their six overs of power play Somerset were 47-1. Kieswetter and Trego were content to pick up singles with the odd boundary as their team looked to keep wickets in hand for a late innings acceleration.

By the halfway point in their innings they had reached 76-1 and were poised to attack. Sure enough the next over saw Trego hit a big six over mid-wicket off Razzaq.

Hampshire struck back in the 12th over when Trego drove Briggs in the air to long-off where Sean Ervine took a casual one-handed catch above his head, having apparently misjudged the flight of the ball.

It was 97-2 and Trego had made 33 off 24 balls, with 3 fours and a six. James Hildreth went in to join the still somewhat subdued Kieswetter and the 100 came up in the 13th over.

Kieswetter sprang to life at the start of the 14th over with a straight six off Briggs. But with six overs to go Somerset were on 113-2 and, with plenty of batting to come, needed to start playing some big shots.

Craig appreciated that and reached a 48-ball half-century with a square driven four off Dan Christian as the 15th over went for 11.

Now Kieswetter was starting to flow and he took successive boundaries off Wood as Somerset moved to 136-2 at the end of the 16th over.

Next it was Razzaq to suffer as the wicketkeeper lifted a full toss over cover for six. But the 17th over also saw Hildreth caught at backward point by the diving Christian for 12 to make it 145-3.

Kieswetter's important innings came to an end when he skied Christian to deep extra cover where Michael Carberry took the catch. It was 149-4 and the opener had faced 59 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes.

In came Pollard to lift a low full toss from Wood over wide long-on for six. The next ball disappeared over mid-wicket for another maximum as the powerful West Indian looked to finish the innings in style.

Semi-final hero Jos Buttler perished in the final over by which time Somerset were 173-5. Next ball saw Pollard struck a painful blow by a Cork short delivery and he collapsed to the ground needing treatment, having hit 22 off just seven balls..

Arul Suppiah replaced Kieron and was out first ball as crucially only three runs came off Cork's over.

Nick Compton deputised for Pollard when Somerset came out to defend their total. But the blow of losing the all-rounder as a bowler was felt as early as the fourth over when de Bruyn went for 16.

That took Hampshire to 35 without loss and the home side were in full flow as Ben Phillips then went for 4,4,6 in the fith over, Razzaq going on the attack.

The fifty came up in a flash and it was 52-0 as Phillips retired to the boundary having conceded 17. Somerset desperately needed a breakthrough and Trego provided it when Razzaq, on 33, skied a top edge to Kieswetter.

Despite that setback, the Royals had raced to 62-1 at the end of their six power play overs and their depleted opponents were under real pressure as Murali Kartik was introduced into the attack.

His first ball was chopped to third man by James Vince where Hildreth reacted superbly to run out the batsman as he was sent back attempting a quick single. It was the first delivery Vince had faced.

With no Pollard to bowl, Trescothick was having to switch his attack and soon there was left-arm spin from both ends as Arul Suppiah was brought on.

His first delivery also brought a wicket as Adams, on 34, dragged an attempted back-foot shot onto his stumps. The opener had faced 24 balls, hitting 3 fours and one six.

Hampshire were 84-3 and Somerset appeared to have staunched the initial flood of runs. At the halfway stage the Royals were 90-3, needing a further 84 off 70 balls.

Kartik conceded only four off the 11th over, but then de Bruyn went for ten as the Royals moved to 104-3 at the end of the 12th, with former Somerset player McKenzie partnering Ervine.

It was not proving a happy night for Phillips, whose first two overs had cost 26 when he went for 15 more as Ervine attacked the 14th over with gusto.

Trescothick had to turn to Alfonso Thomas, whose first two overs had been typically economical. But now the Royals could afford to push singles and were content with five off the 15th over of their innings.

By the time Phillips came to bowl the penutimate over only 11 runs were needed. He removed McKenzie with the first ball to a catch by Trescothick at extra cover and then had Ervine dropped off the second by Compton at deep square.

Phillips certainly wasn't giving up. He then had Michael Carberry caught by Kieswetter off a skier and only conceded three runs.

That left eight required off the final over, bowled by de Bruyn. After a bye from the first Ervine should have been run out by Kieswetter who missed all three stumps with the batsman well out of his ground.

Ervine then skied the next delivery, but the ball fell safe. Then Kieswetter missed the stumps again from an almost identical situation to squander another run out chance.

The drama didn't end there as Christian appeared to pull a muscle taking the second run that left Hampshire with two to win - and one to tie the scores - off the final delivery. With the crowd on the edge of their seats Adams walked to to act as runner.

Then a member of the groundstaff was summoned to paint some new lines on an adjacent pitch so the umpires could see whether the runner was in or out in the event of a quick single.

It had taken ten minutes to bowl five balls. The final delivery brought the leg bye and an incredible oversight by the Somerset players as they failed to spot Christian running with his runner. The scores were level and the Royals celebrated an amazing success.

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