Preview: Hampshire Hawks v Somerset, Vitality Blast Finals Day

Hampshire Hawks v Somerset
Vitality Blast Semi-Final
Saturday 16th July (2:30pm Start)
Edgbaston

Hampshire Hawks head to their ninth Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday – a joint record with fellow 2022 semi-finalists, Lancashire Lightning – looking for Edgbaston revenge against Somerset, the side who ended the Hawks hopes at Finals Day last year.

Lancashire Lightning and Yorkshire Vikings contest the day’s other semi-final (11am), with the semi-finals' two winners meeting in the 2022 Vitality Blast Final at 6:45pm.

The Hawks will be looking to end their run of semi-final defeats at Edgbaston – having bowed out in the last four at the home of Warwickshire CCC in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2021 – and will take confidence from their 104-run drubbing of Birmingham Bears in last week’s T20 quarter-final at Edgbaston.

Somerset breezed past Derbyshire in their quarter-final – setting a new record for the format’s highest ever score (265-5) in the process – and will be looking for a repeat of 2021’s semi-final in which they beat the Hawks by two wickets.

Group stage results were split between the two sides – Somerset prevailing at The Ageas Bowl by four wickets before James Vince’s stunning century (129*) saw the Hawks run out winners by 14 runs at Taunton.

Hampshire Squad

The Hawks have named the same 15-player squad from last week’s quarter-final against Birmingham Bears.

James Vince – the competition’s top run scorer (653) – will be looking to lead his side to a first T20 final since 2012.

Full Hampshire Squad

Somerset

2022 Season In Numbers

2nd in the South Group
Form (most recent first): WWWWL
Leading run scorer: Rilee Rossouw - 600
Leading wicket taker: Lewis Gregory - 15

Head-to-Head

Hampshire’s record in Vitality Blast v Somerset

P: 23, W 8, T: 1, L: 14

Last meetings:

• June 23 2022 | Taunton | South Group | Hampshire won by 14 runs
• May 30 2022 | The Ageas Bowl | South Group | Somerset won by 4 wickets
• Sept 18 2021 | Edgbaston | Semi-Final | Somerset won by 2 wickets
• July 9 2021 | The Ageas Bowl | South Group | Hampshire won by 75 runs
• June 25 2021 | CACG Taunton | South Group | Somerset won by 7 runs

Read more about Hampshire Hawks's previous T20 semi-finals by clicking here.

Tickets

Hampshire Hawks’ allocation of Vitality Blast Finals Day sold out earlier in the week. A very limited number of general admission tickets remain – at the time of writing – and these are available by clicking here.

Coverage

Vitality Blast Finals Day will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:30am on Saturday.

Both the Hampshire Cricket App and www.ageasbowl.com/cricket will also host a live match centre with scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Edgbaston: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2650236