T20 Blast Remaining, Edgbaston
Northamptonshire Steelbacks 169 (19.5 overs): Vasconcelos 88; Baker 5-21
Hampshire Hawks 155 (19.2 overs): Weatherley 75; Gross sales 3-25
Northants gained by 14 runs
Northamptonshire Steelbacks claimed their third T20 Blast title after a titanic tussle with Hampshire Hawks in an enthralling Edgbaston ultimate.
After being requested to bat first the Steelbacks survived a monumental collapse, dropping their ultimate eight wickets for 31 to submit 169, opener Ricardo Vasconcelos offering the spine with 88.
However they mounted a positive comeback of their very own with the ball to stop Hampshire turning into the primary staff to win 4 T20 Blast titles in a nerve-shredding climax which went to the ultimate over.
The Hawks wanted 31 to win from the ultimate 20 balls with 5 wickets in hand however that turned 15 to win from the ultimate six balls with simply two wickets remaining.
Joe Weatherley was on strike on 75 – having hit an unbeaten 88 of their semi-final earlier within the day – nonetheless he skied Ben Sanderson to Northants skipper David Willey contained in the rope at long-on after which Sanderson bowled Sonny Baker from the following ball to safe victory by 14 runs.
The England paceman had earlier turn into the primary bowler to say 5 wickets on Finals Day in Hampshire’s semi-final win over Notts Outlaws.
After producing a fine display with both bat and ball to see-off Notts, James Vince opted to bowl first after profitable the toss for the ultimate, regardless of understanding the Steelbacks had beaten Somerset batting first within the opening semi-final.
Regardless of claiming the early scalp of dangerman and former Hawk Chris Lynn, the Australian veteran clipping a brief Baker supply to Chris Wooden at brief positive leg, the Steelbacks rallied with Vasconcelos and Nathan McSweeney (30) including a swashbuckling 60 in six overs.
One other 69 adopted between Vasconcelos and Lewis McManus from the following 7.2 overs with Northants 138-2 with 4.5 overs remaining earlier than McManus holed-out off Scott Currie for 22.
It sparked an almighty collapse as left-handed opener Vasconcelos departed for a career-best 88 from 59 balls, that includes 11 fours and two sixes, falling to a slower-ball from Baker, the primary of six wickets to fall in 12 deliveries.
Three of them got here in Baker’s ultimate over, leaving him with career-best figures of 5-21 – simply three days after his 5-24 within the quarter-final – to turn into the primary participant to register a Finals Day five-fer.
James Fuller ended with figures of 7-62 throughout eight overs on the day because the Steelbacks have been dismissed within the ultimate over.
The Steelbacks made the right begin to the reply as Toby Albert edged the primary ball from Willey to the keeper however Vince and Weatherley – who had mixed for a stand of 126 within the semi-final – steadied the ship with 40 earlier than Vince skied one off James Gross sales to Vasconcelos to depart for 17.
Weatherley remained to surpass Luke Wright’s 2018 report of 125 for probably the most runs on a single Finals Day however misplaced Ben Mayes (9) earlier than dangerman Tristan Stubbs (2) was bowled by a peach from leg-spinner Calvin Harrison 5 balls later and, regardless of Hilton Cartwright hitting 11 from 4 balls, he was yorked by Gross sales to depart the Hawks up towards it with eight overs remaining.
Gross sales registered figures of 3-25 to make it 4-41 throughout eight overs on the day and 25 wickets within the competitors.
Weatherley posted his second half-century of the day and had Liam Dawson in assist however 74 have been required from the ultimate seven overs and 58 from the ultimate 5.
On the bottom the place he scored a career-best 68 for England towards India on Tuesday, Dawson helped himself to 17 off Willey’s ultimate over to maneuver to 26 and go away the Hawks needing 41 from the ultimate 24 balls.
Dawson spun to paddle a six over positive leg off Luke Procter to achieve 35 from 18 balls however was calamitously run out on the non striker’s finish two balls later after setting off for a leg-bye single which Weatherley turned down.
Fuller got here in with 32 wanted from 20 balls however Weatherley took cost to turn into the match’s main run-scorer and go away his aspect needing 22 from the ultimate two overs.
It was all the way down to 17 two balls later earlier than Procter cleaned up Fuller’s off-stump as he tried to cart the ball over mid-wicket and Currie adopted two balls later as he botched an tried ramp.
Weatherley then holed-out after a 53-ball keep which yielded 9 fours and two sixes and Baker adopted him straight after to start out the Steelbacks celebrations.
