T20 Blast Semis & Final July 18th at Edgbaston
Neil Whitaker reports
First Semi-finalJuly 19, 2026 11:37 pm
NORTHAMPTON Steelbacks beat defending Champions Somerset by 17 runs to seal their place in the final but at the half way stage it looked like Somerset were on their way to another final after they dismissed the Steelbacks for 143.
Somerset’s Jake Ball too four wickets for 17 in in his four overs equalling the best figures for a semi-final. Somerset’ s Head coach Jason Kerr said: “Its incredible disappointing. At the hallway stage we were in a great position, but our batting performance was a reflection of T20 season.”
Defending 143 the Steelbacks needed quick wickets and they got three in their first three over. Steelbacks captain David Willey got a wicket with his first ball. He pitched one on leg stump that moved and Somersets opener Tom Banton nibbed at it and stumper Lewis McManus took the catch. Thomas Rew edged a drive and the ball flew to Nathan McSweeney on the point boundary. James Rew son followed his brother back in the hutch when he was bowled by Willey.
The only time that Somerset looked on course was when Sam Sneed hit 28 off Luke Procter’s first over with two sixes and four fours. Kerr added: “We wrestled the game back but after that over we struggled to get the momentum back, and we lost wickets at vital times but full credit to Northamptonshire. We needed to play much better than we did to defend our tittle.”
Smeed pulled Calvin Harrison to the square leg boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Tom Kholer-Cadmore. But once the pair were separated the Steelbacks were in charge. Not even the man of the match in the quarter final against Yorkshire Craig Overton could swing the match Somerset’s way. Their fans thought he had hit a six but it was Steelback’s own superman Willey who caught the ball and threw the ball back into the field to Saif Zaib to complete the catch. Kerr said: “The innings that Overton played on Wednesday you will never see again in T20 cricket.”
Procter whose first over cost 28 runs came back to bowl the last over which only cost him two runs.
Put into bat Ricardo Vasconcelos hit three boundaries off his first seven balls. But when he tried to scoop Riley Meredeth he was on way back to the hutch. The ball to short fine leg and Somerset appealed for a catch. But Meredeth pleaded with his captain Lewis Gregory that the ball had come off his pad. Gregory reviewed it and the replay showed he was leg before.
The Steelbacks went two down when McSweeney was another leg before victim. At first he was given not out but Somerset reviewed it. The replay showed it to be out. Before he was given out McSweeney was ¾ of the way back to the dressing room. It could have been worse for the Steelbacks but Willey just beat Daniel Sams’ throw from third man. It did get worse for the Steelbacks when Willey was caught by Gregory at mid-on. Willey got too far under a pull off Overton and the ball went up in the air and despite Gregory colliding with Kohler-Cadmore he held on to the bal. Louis Kimber chipped Meredeth to mid-wicket and Sams took a fantastic one handed catch diving forward. Sanderson helped a legside ball from Meredeth to stumper Thomas Rew. ball on its way.
Chris Lynn, who top scored for the Steelbacks with 39,threatened to blow Somerset away but after he blasted a couple of sixes before became one of Ball’s four victims.
second Semi Final
LAST year’s beaten finalists Hampshire Hawks made it to this year’s final with a 27 run victory over Notts Outlaws.
Joe Weatherley hit an unbeaten 88 and shared a second wicket partnership of 126 in 14 overs with his captain James Vince as the Hawks reached 187 in their 20 overs.
Outlaws Head coach Peter Moores said: “We’ve no complaints, full credit to Hampshire Hawks they outplayed us on the day. I thought Weatherley played really well and we did well to keep them to below 20 which I thought they were going to get. We felt that we had a chance to chase the runs down but we didn’t kick on. We wern’nt at our best today.”
After a patent start he clipped Dillon Pennington off his legs into the Hollies, a couple of balls later James Vince top edged a pull off Pennington over stumper Tom Moores head for a six. Weatherley lofted George Linde straight for a six to bring up the 50 for the Hawks and late cut the next ball to the point boundary. He swept Liam Patterson-White for a massive six into the Hollies.
Vince lofted Olly Stone over the infield for a four to the cover boundary. He showed his versatility by late cutting Benny Howell to the point boundary. On 34 he pulled Patterson-White straight to Jack Haynes but as he dived forward to take the catch his elbows hit the ground and he spilled the ball. The Hawks captain lent back to Pennigton and thrashed him over mid-wicket for a six into the building site to bring up the hundred partnership with Weatherley. He swung Linde over the mid-wicket boundary for a six to bring up his 50 from 36 balls with three fours and three sixes. Seeing the ball like a football he flat batted Patterson-White to the long-on boundary.
The partnership was broken when Vince smashed Howell to Stone on the long-on boundary. The pair had been together since the second ball of the Hawks innings when Toby Albert was dismissed by the partnership of Mohammed Amir and Tom stumper Tom Moores after the Hawks had been put in by the Outlaws.
On five Tristan Stubbs top edged a pull off Pennington but Joe Pocklington running in from the square leg boundary dropped the chance. But it didn’t prove too expensive. Without adding to his score Stubbs late cut Pennington and Linde at short third man who streatched and caught the ball.
Hilton Cartwright dragged Mohammed Amir from well outside his off-stump but found Patterson-White on the long-on boundary but he could only parry it over the boundary.
In the Outlaws chase Geaoge Munsey whipped Sonny Baker off his legs to the fine leg boundary for a flat six. In the next over he clipped Chris Wood off his legs but he found Stubbs coming in from the backward square leg boundary. .Joe Clarke thrashed Wood straight past the umpire to the boundary. Three balls later Clarke took a few steps down the pitch and drilled him to the cover boundary. He slammed Dawson for a straight six. Dawson was replaced by James Fuller and Clarke used the long handle to the long off boundary. He drilled the next ball to the long-on boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Haynes. Clarke top edged Currie over stumpers Albert’s head and the ball ran to the boundary. Clarke hit his second T20 50 of the season, this one came from 34 balls with five fours and two sixes. He swung Liam Dawson over the deep mid wicket boundary for a massive six into the building site.
Haynes flat batted Dawson over the extra cover boundary just evading Currie on the boundary edge. He was beaten in the flight by Dawson but he still managed to get the ball over the fielders to find the extra cover boundary. But it was Dawson who got rid of him. Dawson gave it more air and Haynes swung at it and Stubbs on the long-on boundary took the catch. In the next over Clarke smashed Fuller but Currie ran round from the long-on boundary to deep mid wicket boundary to take he catch.
Moores flat batted Baker’s first ball back into the attack for a six. He pulled Fuller to Dawson on the long-on boundary.
Howell picked Currie up and swung over the mid-wicket boundary for a clean six. He walked inside to Wood and launched him over the long-on boundary. He had a big swing at Baker missed the ball and lost his middle stump.
Linde pushed Wood to Currie on the long-off boundary. Paterson-White thrashed Currie straight back to the bowler who caught it off his chest. Next ball Currie castled Pennington. In the final over Pocklington had a big swing at Fuller and was bowled. Off the final ball Stone was castled by Currie.
Final
NORTHAMPTON Steelbacks won the Vitality Blast T20 for the third time by runs at Edgbaston in a match that went from one team being in charge to the other.
Steelbacks head coach Darren Lehman said: “We thought that we had a pretty good total, but the Hawks played well to get close. Ricardo Vasconcelos took the game on and got his highest score and batted beautifully.”
Chasing 170 to win it looked the Hawks were clear favourites to win but they lost their first to the first ball of their innings when Toby Albert feathered the first ball from Willey to stumper Lewis McManus. In the second over James Vince was given out leg before to Ben Sanderson but Vince reviewed it and the replay showed it to be too high. Vince drove Willey straight to the long off boundary. He pulled Luke Procter over the square leg boundary but when he tried to flat bat James Sales he top edged it and Vasconcelos ran in from point to take the catch.
Joe Weatherley helped Sanderson on its way to the fine leg boundary and hammered the next ball to long-on boundary. He late cut Saif Zaib to the point boundary despite Vasconcelos’ attempts to stop it. The leading scorer in this year’s competion clipped Harrison off his toes over the square leg boundary. His 50 came from 35 balls with seven fours. Weatherley smashed a straight six off Calvin Harrison. After the departure of Liam Dawson he didn’t panic and lofted Sanderson over the infield to the extra cover boundary.
Ben Mayes edged a drive of Sales to the third man boundary. Then he chipped Sales on the legside but found Harrison coming in from the square leg boundary. Leg spinner Harison bowled Tristan Stubbs with a dream ball it pitched on his leg and hit the off. Hilton Cartwright reversed swept Harrison to the third man boundary. He drove Sales off his legs for a six. But when he made room to the next ball he was bowled by a yorker.
Dawson dug a full ball from Willey and squeezed out to thew point boundary. With five overs left the Hawks needed 58 and Dawson drilled the first ball of the 16th over from Willey to the cover boundary. Three balls later he found the extra cover boundary again. He edged the fifth ball to the third man boundary. The Hawks got 17 of that over. In the next over he flicked Procter over short fine leg for a six. Weatherley was hit on the pads and Dawson set for a single but Weatherley had no intention of running and Dawson couldn’t beat Procter’s direct hit.
With 22 needed from two overs Weatherley hit the first ball from Procter straight for a four. Fuller tried to hit Procter over square but missed the ball and Procter hit his leg stump. After getting a couple Currie tried to be funky and was bowled.
Looking for a six Weatherley hit the first ball of the final up in the and Willey on the long on boundary. Sanderson then bowled Sonny Barker.
At the interval it looked like the Hawks would win the final easy after Sonny Baker became the first bowler to take five wickets in a T20 final. But at the start of the 16th over Northamptonshire Steelbacks were on course to post 190 pl with Vasconcelos and McManus set but by the of that over their collapse had started. The went on to lose eight wickets for 37 runs.
First to go McManus who had been promoted up the order to number four clipped Chris Wood off his toes and planted him into the Hollies. He smashed Scott Currie straight for a six and pulled the next ball to Mayes at fine leg. After four balls when Vasconcelos and Willey struggled to get the ball away Vasconcelos backed from Baker to give him some room but the ball smashed into the middle stump. Only two runs came from that over and that wicket. His 88 came from 59 balls with two sixes and 11 fours.
Willey mishit Fuller for a straight six but the next ball went straight up in the and Vince took the catch running backwards. Saif Zaib cut the next ball to Weatherley on the point boundary. Harison was plumb leg before to Baker for one. Two balls later Louis Kimber was beaten by the pace of Baker and was bowled. He ended the over by bowling Sales for a duck.
In the final over Sanderson pulled Currie over the mid-wicket boundary for a six. He drilled the next ball through the covers expecting another boundary but instead Vince stuck out an hand and caught the ball.
Put into bat the Steelbacks lost star batsman Chris Lynn in the second over when he became Baker’s first victim. Baker got one to rise at Lynn and hit the splice of his bat as he turned it to Wood at short fine leg in the second over. In his next over Baker nearly got his second wicket in the same way. This time Nathan McSweeny got more power in his shot and the ball burst through Wood’s hands. In their powerplay the pull through short fine proved to be a popular shot as they used the pace of the ball rather than putting pace on the ball.
Vasconcelos swung at Currie and held the pose as the ball travelled to the long-on boundary. With McSweeney he put on 65 in six overs before McSweeney tried to work Fuller to leg but was hit on his pads and given not out. At the last second the Hawks decided to review it and the replay showed it to be hitting.
The Steelbacks opener pulled Fuller for a one bounce four and he hit another four from the next ball to bring up his first Vitality Blast 50 of the season. In his first Fuller was hit for a straight six by Vasconcelos. Just when it looked like the boundaries had dried up for the Steelbacks Vasconcelos drove Dawson over extra cover for a six.
Hawks captain Vince said: “To lose two in a row makes it hard. I thought Weatherley deserved to be on the winning side. I thought our fielding was a bit sloppy. They bowled better with the new ball
The way we dragged it back we felt we could comfortably chase it we didn’t have big partnerships up the order. Apart from the fielding it was a close game.”