Northamptonshire Steelbacks withstood a fierce late charge from Hampshire Hawks to win the T20 Blast final after a dramatic contest swung repeatedly in the closing overs. Hampshire needed 22 from the final two overs, but the Steelbacks’ bowlers finished the job as wickets fell in quick succession.
James Sales and Ben Sanderson? No, the decisive bowling display came from James Sales and Luke Procter, while Hampshire’s late resistance was led by Joe Weatherley and Liam Dawson. Weatherley reached a second half-century of Finals Day, but his dismissal triggered the Steelbacks’ celebrations.
Hampshire’s Chase Unravels at the End
Hampshire lost Toby Albert to the first ball of their reply when he edged David Willey to the wicketkeeper. James Vince and Weatherley then rebuilt with a 40-run stand before Vince was caught off Sales for 17.
Weatherley continued to score freely and surpassed Luke Wright’s 2018 record of 125 runs for the most runs at a single Finals Day. However, Hampshire lost Ben Mayes for nine and Tristan Stubbs for two, with Calvin Harrison bowling Stubbs with a delivery that proved crucial to the momentum of the chase.
Hilton Cartwright struck 11 from four balls before Sales yorked him, leaving Hampshire under pressure with eight overs remaining. Sales ended with 3-25 and finished the competition with 25 wickets.
| Player | Team | Key Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Vasconcelos | Northamptonshire Steelbacks | 88 from 59 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes |
| Scott Currie | Hampshire Hawks | 5-21, the first Finals Day five-wicket haul |
| James Sales | Northamptonshire Steelbacks | 3-25 and 25 wickets in the tournament |
| Joe Weatherley | Hampshire Hawks | 53-ball innings with nine fours and two sixes |
| Liam Dawson | Hampshire Hawks | 35 from 18 balls |
Dawson Gives Hampshire Hope
With 74 needed from seven overs, Weatherley found support from Dawson as Hampshire searched for an unlikely route back into the final. Dawson hit 17 from Willey’s last over, reducing the required rate and leaving 41 needed from 24 deliveries.
Dawson then paddled Procter for six over fine leg to move to 35 from 18 balls. His innings ended in confusion when he was run out at the non-striker’s end after setting off for a leg-bye that Weatherley declined.
James Fuller arrived with Hampshire needing 32 from 20 balls, but Weatherley took charge to become the tournament’s leading run-scorer. The equation fell to 17 from the final two overs before Procter bowled Fuller and Currie fell attempting a ramp shot.
Weatherley was caught after an innings containing nine fours and two sixes, and Scott Currie followed immediately. That double blow sealed Northamptonshire’s victory.
Vasconcelos Sets Up the Steelbacks’ Total
Hampshire captain James Vince chose to bowl first after winning the toss, even though Northamptonshire had beaten Somerset after batting first in the opening semi-final. The decision looked promising when Chris Lynn, facing his former side, was caught at short fine leg off Currie.
Northamptonshire recovered through Vasconcelos and Nathan McSweeney, who added 60 in six overs. McSweeney made 30 before Vasconcelos added a further 69 with Lewis McManus, taking the Steelbacks to 138-2 with 4.5 overs remaining.
McManus was dismissed for 22, and Northamptonshire’s innings then collapsed sharply. Vasconcelos fell for a career-best 88 from 59 balls, the first of six wickets to fall in 12 deliveries.
According to www.bbc.com, Currie took three wickets in his final over to complete figures of 5-21, following his 5-24 in the quarter-final three days earlier. He became the first player to take a five-wicket haul on T20 Blast Finals Day, while James Fuller returned combined figures of 7-62 from his two matches that day.