Northamptonshire claimed their first Vitality Blast title in a decade after holding their nerve to beat Hampshire by 14 runs in a seesaw Edgbaston final.
Ricardo Vasconcelos amassed a T20 best 88 before Northants imploded from 138 for two to 169 all out after Sonny Baker bagged the first ever five-wicket haul on Finals Day, including three in an over.
Joe Weatherley went to the top of this year’s tournament run charts, following up an unbeaten 88 against Nottinghamshire in the semi-final with 75 in the showpiece, and he was tasked with getting Hampshire home when they needed 15 off the last over.
But he was the penultimate batter out when he lofted to long-on and Ben Sanderson bowled last man Baker to hand Northants a third T20 crown, equalling the record held by Hampshire, Somerset and Leicestershire.
Hampshire were seeking to go out in front on their own but they lost Toby Albert for a golden duck in the chase, nicking off to David Willey, who also bagged a first-ball wicket in Northants’ earlier win over defending champions Somerset.
Talismanic Hampshire captain James Vince was the first of three victims to fall to the impressive James Sales when he skewed to Vasconcelos in the ring, although Weatherley steadied some nerves with three fours in an over off Sanderson.
While Weatherley was largely responsible for making sure the required run-rate never escalated with a 35-ball fifty, wickets tumbled with regularity at the other end.
Liam Dawson seemed like he would be able to hang around with three fours in an over off Willey, Northants’ hero in their first triumph in 2013, but he was run out for 35 after being sent back by Weatherley, with Luke Procter excellently steadying himself before throwing down the stumps.
Hampshire got the equation down to 17 needed off the last 10 balls, but Procter bowled James Fuller and Scott Currie in the 19th over, leaving Weatherley with it all to do at the last.
He went for a big heave from the first ball of the last over, but Willey, a few metres in from the rope, took a steepler before Baker was cleaned up by Sanderson to kickstart euphoric Northants celebrations.
Baker earlier made the breakthrough after Northants were asked to bat first when Chris Lynn, who made a match-winning hundred for Hampshire in last year’s semi-final between the teams, was cramped and had an ugly swipe to Chris Wood in the ring.
Wood was unable to cling on when Vasconcelos drove back at him for the first of his 11 fours, the only early chance the opener offered as he and Nathan McSweeney pierced the in-field with regularity in the powerplay.
McSweeney was out lbw for 30 after Hampshire reviewed, but Vasconcelos motored on following a 33-ball fifty – his first of the season – with both Fuller and Dawson taken the distance.
However, Vasconcelos backed away to an 88mph delivery which crashed into the base of the stumps from Baker, who snared Calvin Harrison, Louis Kimber and Sales in his final over as Northants faded badly.
Harrison missed a reverse scoop and was lbw, although he should have reviewed as the impact was outside off-stump, while Kimber and Sales were simply beaten for pace and bowled by England’s skiddy quick.
PA
