Hampshire cemented their place at the top of the Vitality Blast group stage with a solid four-wicket victory over struggling Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Georgia Adams‘ side recorded their seventh straight victory after chasing down the Bears’ total of 166 for 5 with six balls to spare.

Acting home captain Katie George scored 67 off 49 balls but Adams’ 2 for 21 led a tight team bowling display which kept Warwickshire below par. Hampshire then reached 167 for 6 from 19 overs as Adams completed a fine performance by smashing 53 from 29 balls and Nancy Harman added 49 from 26.

While Hampshire can look forward to the knockout stage with confidence high, Warwickshire’s defeat – their ninth in 12 games – rounded off a deeply disappointing campaign for last season’s beaten finalists.

Put in, Warwickshire started brightly as openers George and Georgia Redmayne (26) added 41 from 36 balls before the latter was superbly caught at deep midwicket by Harman off Naomi Dattani.

The guile and experience of Adams kept the batters on a leash. The Hampshire skipper conceded just 13 from her first three overs which included the wicket of Amu Surenkumar, caught at long-on, and then struck first ball when she returned for her fourth, bowling Charis Pavely.

A third wicket should have followed four balls later but George, having just posted a 42-ball half-century, was badly dropped at long-on by Francesca Sweet.

George perished next over, yorked by Amanda-Jade Wellington and at 107 for 2 after 15, Warwickshire needed late impetus. Em Arlott supplied some with an unbeaten 22 from ten balls but her side still came in short.

Adams launched Hampshire’s reply with three fours from the first over, from Arlott, before Mary Taylor’s fourth ball rattled Ella McCaughan’s leg stump. Taylor struck again when Abi Norgrove inside-edged to wicketkeeper Sophie Beech who also took an edge from Sweet off Hannah Baker.

Adams reached a 26-ball half-century with a six off Millie Taylor, but the bowler gained her revenge three balls later when the batter spooned a full toss to mid-off. At 90 for 4 after ten overs, the game was finely balanced.

It tilted Warwickshire’s way when Baker bowled Wellington behind her legs but Harman, after a careful start, struck Phoebe Brett for ten in two balls, which put Hampshire in control.

Harman and Dattani added a decisive 55 from 35 balls and when Harman lifted Surenkumar to long-on, Hampshire could nurdle the remaining 15 runs with 21 balls at their disposal.