SEMI-FINALS
Lancashire Lightning 208/4 beat Yorkshire Vikings 204/7 by six wickets
Hampshire Hawks 190/6 beat Somerset 153 by 37 runs
FINAL
Hampshire Hawks 152/8 beat Lancashire Lightning 151/8 by one run
NO BALL DRAMA AT THE LAST!
Chaos. Utter, utter chaos at Edgbaston. Hampshire Hawks had won it: defending five from the last ball, Nathan Ellis bowled Richard Gleeson. Cue pandemonium.
Cue, in fact, umpire Graham Lloyd sticking his right arm out to signal a front-foot no ball, a free hit, a reset of everyone in the stadium and three runs to win.
There aren't really words to describe any of this - so we'll let the footage tell the rest.
A no ball. A no ball.
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
The utter, utter drama of #Blast22.
What a match.#FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/cRYkesYjYr
MCDERMOTT KEY FOR HAWKS
Ben McDermott was the only Hampshire batter to get past 22, and his 62 from 36 was the sole reason for the Hawks getting a defendable total. A middle-order collapse put Hawks in the mire but McDermott saw to it that they got to what was, in the end, a score they could defend. Just.
Absolutely glorious 😍#Blast22 #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/qxu6KvFdbM
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
PARKY SHINES
Matt Parkinson had a fantastic final with the ball, picking up four for 26. Released by England for this ahead of the third ODI against India at Emirates Old Trafford, Parkinson was fantastic in the middle overs, claiming the key wicket of McDermott and putting his side into a great position.
Matt Parkinson, doing Matt Parkinson things 🌪#Blast22 #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/SiQiHX81AM
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
JENNINGS AND VILAS TO THE FORE
Ahead of 2022, the highest successful chase on Finals Day was Hampshire's 173 in 2010. Yet Lancashire Lightning took down their Roses rivals, Yorkshire Vikings, and their total of 204. That they did so was thanks to Keaton Jennings, who caressed 75 from 51, and skipper Dane Vilas (63* from 36). Phil Salt had played a very handy cameo - a 15-ball 36 - at the top of the order too. Rarely can a chase of over 200 looked so easy.
A Dane Vilas ramp, all class 😍#Blast22 #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/LfQ0m8gBM8
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
THOMPSON BLITZES FASTEST FINALS DAY 50
Yorkshire's defeat in the semi-final came in spite of a magnificent batting display by Jordan Thompson. After his heroics with the ball at the end of the quarter-final, he strode out to the middle at Edgbaston and put on a show. He took just 17 balls to reach a half-century, bashing six sixes and pulverising the Lancashire bowlers as the Vikings became only the third team to reach 200 on Finals Day.
Unreal from @Tommo455 🔥
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
The fastest 50 at #FinalsDay 👏#Blast22 pic.twitter.com/mPGq4zf8CX
SOMERSET PRESTFALLEN
After a run-fest of a first semi-final, expectations were high for the second. Tom Prest delivered on that expectation. He batted through the majority of the innings after James Vince was dismissed in the Powerplay. Prest's 64 from 46 anchored the innings and helped the Hawks up to 190 - the lowest total of the day to that point, but it proved more than enough.
Tom Prest reaches his half-century 🙌#Blast22 #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/iPL8EWSepw
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
ROSSOUW MADNESS NOT ENOUGH
It took Rilee Rossouw until just his 14th ball at Finals Day to put the ball onto the roof of the Hollies, pulling Brad Wheal for an utterly huge six. But he couldn't continue the hitting, falling to James Fuller. Despite the best efforts of Toms Abell and Lammonby, the Hawks' bowling proved too much and Somerset were all out 37 runs short.
OVER THE HOLLIES 😱
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
Not even @Edgbaston is big enough for @Rileerr 😍@SomersetCCC | #Blast22 | #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/ZOdc7P4d6f