Somerset beat Surrey to secure home tie against Derbyshire in Vitality Blast quarter-finals; Lancashire to host Essex after dramatic win over Birmingham who will face Hampshire at home in last eight; Yorkshire to travel to Surrey after Leicestershire punishment
Last Updated: 03/07/22 10:26pm
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Vitality T20 Blast match between Lancashire and Birmingham
Highlights of the Vitality T20 Blast match between Lancashire and Birmingham
Will Smeed fell two short of a first Vitality Blast century as Somerset made sure of a home quarter-final with a 47-run win over South Group winners Surrey at Taunton.
The 20-year-old opener smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his 51-ball innings, sharing a scintillating third-wicket stand of 165 in 12.3 overs with skipper Tom Abell, who hit 70 off 36, to help the hosts reach 218-8 after losing the toss.
In reply, Surrey posted 171, Chris Jordan making a career-best 73 from 35 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, but only Laurie Evans (39) offering any meaningful support. Craig Overton returned 4-25, with his brother Jamie one of his victims.
Craig Overton of Somerset celebrates after taking the wicket of his brother Jamie Overton of Surrey during the Vitality T20 Blast match at Taunton
Somerset skipper Tom Abell scored 70 from 36 balls against Surrey
The result meant Somerset finished runners-up to their opponents in the group and will play Derbyshire at home in the last eight next Saturday.
Wayne Madsen scored his first T20 century as Derbyshire finished their Vitality Blast North Group campaign with a record-breaking five-wicket victory over Durham at Derby.
Madsen scored a brilliant unbeaten 100 off 47 balls with 11 fours and three sixes as the Falcons completed their highest T20 run chase by cruising to 194-5.
Durham had posted a challenging 193-5 through Ollie Robinson’s 43 from 27 balls and Michael Jones’ 42 off 22, with Falcons leg-spinner Mattie McKiernan taking 3-29.
But Madsen was at his inventive best and, supported by Shan Masood’s 31 off 28 balls and Hilton Cartwright with 38 from 23, the Falcons sealed a ninth group win with five balls to spare.
Leicestershire finished off their Vitality Blast season with a fifth straight win as they beat Yorkshire by 60 runs but it came in vain.
After it was revealed just hours before the match that they had suffered a two-point deduction, as a result of two disciplinary offences committed during their dramatic one-run victory over Northamptonshire on Friday evening, it was impossible for the Foxes to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Nevertheless, they finished with 211-7 from their 20 overs after skipper Colin Ackermann made an unbeaten 72 off 46 balls, backed up by Nick Welch’s rapid 46 in the powerplay and Louis Kimber’s 30 off 11 balls late on, David Willey taking 3-29 for the Vikings.
In what would have been a play-off for the last quarter-final place from the North Group, with Leicestershire just a point behind Yorkshire ahead of the game, the deduction rendered the result academic with the Vikings progressing in fourth place – securing an away quarter-final tie against Surrey on Wednesday – despite mustering only 151-9 in reply.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley hit two sixes as Lancashire earned a home quarter-final with a dramatic two-wicket victory over Birmingham Bears at Emirates Old Trafford.
Needing 13 off the final over to eclipse the visitors’ 168-8, Hartley’s second maximum had given his side a sniff of victory, but the win was only confirmed when Richard Gleeson edged a front-foot no-ball from Henry Brookes to the boundary to settle matters with three balls to spare.
Hartley finished unbeaten on 18 but the result was hard on the Bears’ Olly Stone, who took a career-best 4-21.
The result means Lancashire will entertain Essex on Friday, while the Bears, who finished top of the North Group, will take on Hampshire at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Hampshire warmed up for that game with their ninth victory in 10 matches as they beat the Sussex Sharks by five wickets at Hove.
For Sussex, who made 180-8, it was their eighth defeat in their last nine games and the only surprise was that they took the game to the final over.
Then visitors looked on course for a more comfortable victory when their prolific captain James Vince (65) and Ben McDermott (30) put on 86 for the first wicket, striking at 10 runs an over, but Hampshire’s batting faltered before Ross Whiteley (16no) and James Fuller (19no) saw them home.
