T20 Blast final: Northamptonshire Steelbacks beat Hampshire Hawks

T20 Blast Final, Edgbaston

Northamptonshire Steelbacks 169 (over 19.5): Vasconcelos 88; Baker 5-21

Hampshire Hawks 155 (over 19.2): Weatherley 75; Sale 3-25

Northants won by 14 runs

scorecard

Northamptonshire Steelbacks claimed their third T20 Blast title after beating Hampshire Hawks in a stunning Edgbaston final.

After being asked to bat first, the Steelbacks survived a monumental slump, losing their last eight wickets for 31 to be bowled out for 169, with opener Ricardo Vasconcelos providing the backbone with 88.

But they mounted a fine comeback with the ball of their own to prevent Hampshire becoming the first team to win four T20 Blast titles in a frustrating climax to the final.

The Hawks needed 31 runs to win from the last 20 balls with five wickets in hand, but they made 15 to win from the last six balls with just two wickets remaining.

Joe Weatherley was on a knock of 75 with an unbeaten score of 88 in the semi-final earlier in the day, but he slid Ben Sanderson inside the rope at long-on to Northant skipper David Willey and Sanderson then bowled Sonny Baker from the next ball to seal victory by 14 runs.

The England pacer had previously become the first bowler to take five wickets on Finals Day in Hampshire’s semi-final win against Notts Outlaws.

After a fine display with both bat and ball to see off Notts, James Vince opted to bowl first after winning the toss for the final despite knowing the Steelbacks had beaten Somerset first innings in the opening semi-final.

Despite danger man and former Hawk Chris Lynn claiming the early scalp with the Australian veteran hitting a short Baker delivery to Chris Wood at short fine leg, the Steelbacks recovered as Vasconcelos and Nathan McSweeney (30) added a flashy 60 in six overs.

From the next 7.2 overs Vasconcelos and Lewis McManus had another 69 between them and Northants were 138-2 with 4.5 overs remaining before McManus edged Scott Currie for 22.

Left-handed opener Vasconcelos’ departure for a career-best 88 off 59 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, and Baker’s fall on a slower ball, the first of six wickets to fall in 12 deliveries, led to a massive collapse.

Three of these came in Baker’s final as he reached his career-best 5-21 just three days after his 5-24 in the quarter-final, becoming the first player to record a five-fer on Finals Day.

James Fuller finished the day with figures of 7-62 from eight overs as the Steelbacks were dismissed in the final over.

The Steelbacks made an excellent start to the reply with Toby Albert sending the first ball through Willey to the keeper but Vince and Weatherley, who combined for 126 in the semi-final, steadied the ship with 40 points before Vince edged James Sales over to Vasconcelos for 17.

Weatherley managed to surpass Luke Wright’s 2018 record of 125 for the most runs in a single Finals Day but danger man Tristan Stubbs (2) lost Ben Mayes (9) before succumbing to leg-spinner Calvin Harrison’s peach five balls later and despite Hilton Cartwright scoring 11 from four balls, he was pulled back by Sales to leave the Hawks behind for eight overs.

Sales recorded figures of 3-25 for 4-41 from eight overs on the day and 25 wickets in the competition.

Weatherley posted his second half-century of the day, supporting Liam Dawson, but 74 from the last seven overs and 58 from the last five were required.

Dawson, who scored a career-best 68 for England against India on Tuesday, was 17 off Willey’s final over to make 26, with the Hawks needing 41 from the last 24 balls.

Dawson rowed a fine leg six over Luke Procter to reach 35 from 18 balls, but two balls later, after departing for a leg bye single, he ran out badly at the non-striker’s end, which Weatherley turned away.

Fuller came up with 32 off 20 balls but Weatherley took over as the tournament’s top scorer, leaving his side needing 22 off the final two overs.

Two balls fell to 17 before Procter cleared Fuller’s off stump as he attempted to bowl the ball to mid-wicket, and Currie then followed up with two balls as he failed in his ramp attempt.

Weatherley was then caught behind after a 53-ball stay with nine fours and two sixes, with Baker following close behind to start the Steelbacks celebrations.