Familiar faces return for men’s T20 Blast Finals DayImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Somerset have won two of the past three T20 Blast titlesByBen Ashton, BBC Sport England and Alex Hoad, BBC Sport EnglandPublished27 minutes agoThere is something of a familiar line-up at Edgbaston for the men’s T20 Finals Day on Saturday.With 10 domestic T20 trophies between them, Northants Steelbacks, reigning champions Somerset, Hampshire Hawks and Notts Outlaws are no strangers to 20-over cricket’s showpiece event.It may be a quick turnaround from Wednesday’s quarter-finals but a mid-summer Finals Day looks set for blue skies and some thrilling match-ups.Here’s a closer look at how things are shaping up.Finals Day drawGames to be played on Saturday, 18 July, at EdgbastonSemi-final one: Northants Steelbacks v Somerset (11:00 BST)Semi-final two: Hampshire Hawks v Notts Outlaws (14:30)Final (18:45)SomersetImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Craig Overton’s 79* from 30 balls was the highest score by a number nine in T20 historyFinals Day record: Winners – 2005, 2023 and 20252026 top run-scorer: James Rew – 4272026 top wicket-taker: Daniel Sams – 19Group record: Seven wins, five defeats – 2nd in Central & West GroupIf there’s one thing Somerset have proved this summer, it’s that you can never write them off.The defending champions lost four of their opening six matches to leave plenty of doubt about whether they would add to their run of 11 Finals Day appearances – the past five of them in a row.Somerset fans should not have worried – they won five of their past six, including monster victories over group winners, and semi-final opponents, Northants by a huge 105 runs on the road and by seven wickets with five overs to spare at home.It all looked to be in vain as they slumped to 82-8 in the 15th over of their chase of 162 to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in Wednesday’s quarter-final.Then all-rounder Craig Overton produced one of the great T20 Blast innings to help the defending champions pull off an astonishing victory, smashing 79 from 30 balls, including three sixes from the final over in which the visitors required 22 to win. It keeps alive their hopes of making a fourth consecutive Blast final and becoming the first team to defend their crown.Skipper Lewis Gregory hit two late sixes to help his side to a second title in three years last September against Hampshire and, before the start of this campaign, he told BBC Radio Somerset: “We’ve been incredibly consistent over five, six, seven years now.”Then you get to a knockout fixture in Finals Day [and] one or two people coming off can win you a game. We’ve been mightily close to go three in three if you look back.”It’s a very tough format to be consistent and over 23 years no-one’s defended it so hopefully we can be the first this year.”Northants SteelbacksImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Northants face an anxious wait for news on opening bat Chris Lynn who retired hurt on WednesdayFinals Day record: Winners – 2013 and 20162026 top run-scorer: Chris Lynn – 4752026 top wicket-taker: James Sales – 21Group record: Nine wins, three defeats – 1st in Central & West GroupUnlike their Central & West Group rivals Somerset, Northants’ involvement in the knockout stage was never really in doubt, posting the best record of any side in the group stage.They won their opening eight fixtures, posting two of the highest 10 totals in the competition this year, but came unstuck twice in the space of three games against Somerset, losing by 105 runs at home and then by seven wickets with 30 balls remaining on the trip to Taunton five days later, which will be food for thought before their rematch in Saturday’s semi-final at 11:00 BST.The Steelbacks got there with relative ease after Wednesday’s convincing win against Gloucestershire in the quarter-finals.The visitors were in trouble at 20-3 but dragged themselves to 103-4 in the 12th over before being bowled out for a modest 152, with the ever-reliable Ben Sanderson the pick of the bowlers with 4-20 and Calvin Harrison weighing in with 2-23.Northants knocked off the target of 153 with consummate ease. David Willey top-scored with an unbeaten 47, while Ricardo Vasconcelos (42) and Nathan McSweeney (28) also contributed valuable runs.There was concern for veteran Australian opening bat Chris Lynn, Northants’ leading scorer in the competition, who retired hurt on 18 after being struck on the toe by Duan Jansen.Northants have reached Finals Day for the sixth time and the second consecutive season. The last time they did that in 2016 they won the second of their two titles, three years after their first.Should they make it past Somerset they will potentially have an eye on avenging last year’s semi-final defeat by Hampshire Hawks in the showpiece at 18:45.Hampshire HawksImage source, ShutterstockImage caption, James Vince has scored three 50s and one century in the 2026 T20 BlastFinals Day record: Winners – 2010, 2012, 20222026 top run-scorer: James Vince – 4352026 top wicket-taker: Scott Currie – 22Group record: Eight wins, four defeats – 1st in South GroupThis is not a first rodeo for Hampshire Hawks, who hold the joint record for the most appearances at T20 Blast Finals Days, along with Somerset (both 12 including 2026).Hampshire won six of their opening seven South Group games to put themselves in the driving seat for top spot, before stuttering with three defeats from five to end the group phase.But the Hawks come into the semi-final fresh off the back of a crushing 75-win run over Essex in the quarter-final, with batter James Vince and bowler Sonny Baker finding form at just the right time.Vince struck 125 in just 61 balls to record the highest-ever score in the T20 Blast knockout stage, while newly capped England Test bowler Baker took a career-best 5-24.”We know it will be a tough test against Notts,” Vince told BBC Radio Solent. “Hopefully if we put in another performance like that [on Wednesday] then it will be good enough for us to have another crack in the final.”
It will be a fifth Finals Day in the past six years for Hampshire, who last won it in 2022 for a third time and were beaten finalists against Somerset last year. Russell Domingo’s side will set the outright record for the most T20 Blast titles if they can lift a fourth.
