Men’s Vitality Blast Finals Day
1st Semi-Final: Lancashire Lightning v Somerset (11am start)
2nd Semi-Final: Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Hampshire Hawks (2:30pm start)
Final: TBC v TBC (6:45pm start)
Edgbaston
Hawks Men return to Edgbaston for a record 11th appearance at Finals Day.
James Vince’s side will look to seal a record-breaking fourth title to go with wins from 2010, 2012, and 2022.
The Hawks obliterated Durham in their quarter-final at Banks Homes Riverside as Toby Albert and Chris Lynn fired on all cylinders to put on an opening stand of 112 as the Hawks posted 221-8.
Benny Howell and Chris Wood were at their best as they claimed 3-58 in eight overs between them, with Wood running out Colin Ackermann with a direct hit from third man.
Hawks Men face Northamptonshire Steelbacks who defeated Surrey thanks to a sensational century from Ravi Bopara at The Oval in a 14-over-a-side clash.
The winner will then go on to face either Lancashire Lightning or 2023’s winners Somerset in the final at 6:45pm.
Hampshire Hawks
Hawks Men have named a 15-player squad for Finals Day.
Hilton Cartwright returns home to Western Australia as they prepare for the upcoming season and is replaced in the squad by Bjorn Fortuin who featured in three Vitality Blast group matches along with Hampshire’s Rothesay County Championship match at Hove earlier this week.
Sonny Baker also returns having made his ODI debut for England against South Africa at Headingley, whilst Liam Dawson is with the Three Lions for the IT20 leg of the Proteas’ tour, with matches at Old Trafford today and Trent Bridge on Sunday.
Hampshire Hawks Men
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James Vince Captain (14)
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Chris Lynn (50)
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Toby Albert † (15)
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Ben Mayes † (21)
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Sonny Baker (95)
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Andrew Neal (17)
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Scott Currie (44)
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Ali Orr † (27)
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Bjorn Fortuin (45)
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Tom Prest (24)
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James Fuller (26)
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Brad Wheal (58)
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Benny Howell (7)
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Chris Wood (25)
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Eddie Jack (91)
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Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Captain: David Willey
Overseas players: Matt Breetzke (South Africa, all group stage, Finals Day), Lloyd Pope (Australia, all group stage)
Finals Day appearances: Four (2009, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Titles: Two (2013, 2016)
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2025 leading runscorer: Ravi Bopara (453)
2025 leading wicket taker: Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw (28)
Key winter moves: The Steelbacks moved quickly to re-sign two stars of last year’s run to the quarter-finals, with leading run scorer South African international Matthew Breetzke and veteran England all-rounder Ravi Bopara both returning to Wantage Road. Leg-spinner Lloyd Pope, recently named in the Big Bash Team of the Tournament, joins after fellow Australian Ashton Agar was ruled out through injury.
The big question: Northamptonshire’s batting frailties were much in evidence during the Rothesay County Championship. Will the change in format and addition of experienced hands in Willey, Breetzke and Bopara inspire the crop of talented young guns to fire? They will be buoyed by the excellent form of Saif Zaib whose all-round contributions played an important role last summer.
Wildcard watch: Young quick Raphy Weatherall, a former England Under-19 star, showed maturity behind his years in his debut senior season last summer and was entrusted with key overs in the Blast. Returning from injury this season he has clearly put on an extra yard of pace and has caused real problems for opposition batters in the Championship.
Final thought: Darren Lehmann and Willey make a formidable head coach and captain pairing with a wealth of international and franchise trophies to their names and will look to mastermind a second consecutive Steelbacks run to the knockout stages. Bopara proved talismanic in 2024 with bat and ball and while Northamptonshire will miss Agar’s runs, they swiftly secured the dangerous mystery spin of Pope in a like-for-like swap. Ben Sanderson’s accuracy and Weatherall and George Scrimshaw’s pace add potency with the ball.
Head-to-Head
Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Northamptonshire:
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Played
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Won
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Tied
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Lost
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No Result/Abandoned
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1
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0
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0
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1
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0
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Lancashire Lightning
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2025 leading runscorer: Keaton Jennings (415)
2025 leading wicket taker: Luke Wood (22)
Key winter moves: Former Blast-winning captain Steven Croft called time on his 250-game T20 career last September to join the coaching staff full-time, but Lancashire’s overseas recruitment has replaced that experience in the form of Australian all-rounders Chris Green and Ashton Turner. Green impressed last season and has signed a new two-year Blast deal. Dynamic Scotland batter Michael Jones has joined from Durham.
The big question: Will a change in format help Lancashire build momentum after a difficult start in the Rothesay County Championship? Midway through this month, the Red Rose dropped to the foot of Division Two, and Keaton Jennings stepped down as club captain. However, freeing themselves up in the Blast may well aid their promotion bid during the second half of the summer. Jennings remains in charge in the Blast.
Wildcard watch: Sir James Anderson. The England fast-bowling legend will be 43-years-old by the time The Hundred starts in August, but he has made himself available for the Blast because he’s keen to have another crack at T20 cricket, which he hasn’t played since 2014. If he has success for the Lightning, surely teams will be clamouring for his signature.
Final thought: No county has won more T20 matches than Lancashire since the start of the Blast in 2003. The Lightning have won 150 of the 260 matches they have played, and they are particularly strong at home. But they will be hoping to change the key statistic, titles won - 1. There would be no better way than to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their only triumph, victory in the 2015 final against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston, than adding to that number.
Head-to-Head
Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Lancashire:
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Played
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Won
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Tied
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Lost
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No Result/Abandoned
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5
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2
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0
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3
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0
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Somerset
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas players: Riley Meredith (Australia, NOT AVAILABLE FOR FINALS DAY), Matt Henry (New Zealand, first 11 group matches)
Finals Day appearances: 10 (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Titles: Two (2005, 2023)
2024 finish: Runners-up
2025 leading run-scorer: Will Smeed (521)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Riley Meredith (28)
Key winter moves: Australia T20 international pace bowler Riley Meredith was signed to replace Kiwi Matt Henry last season. Now both have been recruited to form an exciting new-ball partnership, which promises to be as potent as any in the Blast, with Craig Overton as an accomplished back-up.
The big question: Can the likes of Will Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit the ground running with their powerful stroke play, without the benefit of some red-ball cricket behind them this summer? The hugely talented Smeed averaged only 21 in last year’s Blast and needs to reestablish himself as a destroyer at the top of the order.
Wildcard watch: Lewis Goldsworthy has not featured in Championship cricket for Somerset this season, but his ability as a spinner allied to his prowess with the bat could make him a candidate to replace Roelof van der Merwe, whose Somerset T20 career has ended after two impressive spells with the club.
Final thought: The burning memory of a shock defeat by arch-rivals Gloucestershire in last year’s Blast final should be all the incentive Somerset need to drive them to another Finals Day with a team that looks stronger in the bowling department than last season and equally explosive with the bat.
Head-to-Head
Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Somerset:
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Played
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Won
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Tied
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Lost
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No Result/Abandoned
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30
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10
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1
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19
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3
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Coverage
Finals Day will be televised on Sky Sports with ball-by-ball radio commentary available on Radio 5 Sports Extra, and the BBC Sport website and app. A live match centre with the scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match via www.utilitabowl.com/news.
Weather Forecast
Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Edgbaston: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2650236.
