Northants claim third T20 Blast title after beating Hants

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Steelbacks added the 2026 title to those they won in 2013 and 2016 By Alex Hoad BBC Sport England Published 6 minutes ago T20 Blast Final, Edgbaston Northamptonshire Steelbacks 169 (19.5 overs) : Vasconcelos 88; Baker 5-21 Hampshire Hawks 155 (19.2 overs) : Weatherley 75; Sales 3-25 Northants won by 14 runs Scorecard Northamptonshire Steelbacks claimed their third T20 Blast title after a titanic tussle with Hampshire Hawks in an enthralling Edgbaston final. After being asked to bat first the Steelbacks survived a monumental collapse, losing their final eight wickets for 31 to post 169, opener Ricardo Vasconcelos providing the backbone with 88. But they mounted a fine comeback of their own with the ball to prevent Hampshire becoming the first team to win four T20 Blast titles in a nerve-shredding climax which went to the final over. The Hawks needed 31 to win from the final 20 balls with five wickets in hand but that became 15 to win from the final six balls with just two wickets remaining. Joe Weatherley was on strike on 75 - having hit an unbeaten 88 in their semi-final earlier in the day - however he skied Ben Sanderson to Northants skipper David Willey inside the rope at long-on and then Sanderson bowled Sonny Baker from the next ball to secure victory by 14 runs. The England paceman had earlier become the first bowler to claim five wickets on Finals Day in Hampshire's semi-final win over Notts Outlaws. After producing a fine display with both bat and ball to see-off Notts , James Vince opted to bowl first after winning the toss for the final, despite knowing the Steelbacks had beaten Somerset batting first in the opening semi-final. Despite claiming the early scalp of dangerman and former Hawk Chris Lynn, the Australian veteran clipping a short Baker delivery to Chris Wood at short fine leg, the Steelbacks rallied with Vasconcelos and Nathan McSweeney (30) adding a swashbuckling 60 in six overs. Another 69 followed between Vasconcelos and Lewis McManus from the next 7.2 overs with Northants 138-2 with 4.5 overs remaining before McManus holed-out off Scott Currie for 22. It sparked an almighty collapse as left-handed opener Vasconcelos departed for a career-best 88 from 59 balls, featuring 11 fours and two sixes, falling to a slower-ball from Baker, the first of six wickets to fall in 12 deliveries. Three of them came in Baker's final over, leaving him with career-best figures of 5-21 - just three days after his 5-24 in the quarter-final - to become the first player to register a Finals Day five-fer. James Fuller ended with figures of 7-62 across eight overs on the day as the Steelbacks were dismissed in the final over. The Steelbacks made the perfect start to the reply as Toby Albert edged the first ball from Willey to the keeper but Vince and Weatherley - who had combined for a stand of 126 in the semi-final - steadied the ship with 40 before Vince skied one off James Sales to Vasconcelos to depa