SAM MOAKES assesses the hopes of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Hampshire and Somerset as the curtain comes down on the 20th edition of the T20 Blast
One hundred and thirty one matches and 39,327 runs later we're on the eve of the most exciting event in English domestic cricket – T20 Blast Finals Day. We return to Edgbaston for the 10th consecutive year, when English cricket's four best T20 sides compete to finish the day with a prized piece of silverware. Will we have a new champion? Or can an old favourite be improve their trophy cabinet?
The day kicks off with a Roses clash and in the 20th year of the Blast the first in Finals Day history. Yorkshire Vikings should count themselves a little lucky to be involved at all; were it not for Leicestershire's points deduction they would be watching the action from home.
That said, Yorkshire responded like a champion team in the quarter-finals against Surrey. After posting a modest first innings total of 160 for 5, Jordan Thompson defended just five from the final over in a thrilling display of death bowling. Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, looked like he'd been put through the drier.
Losing Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and David Willey to the England set-up has depleted Yorkshire significantly, but they’ll be buoyed by the return of Dawid Malan and Harry Brook, who captains the side for the day in the absence of Northamptonshire-bound Willey.
Brook is one of just two Yorkshire batters, alongside Adam Lyth, in the top 30 run-scorers for the tournament and has scored 434 runs at a strike rate of 165.64 (only Lyth and Somerset's Rilee Rossouw have scored more runs at a better click).
Allrounder Thompson understands the value of the young English batter to Yorkshire's ranks: "To have Brooky – he's been amazing for the last two years, not just in England but in the winter in Pakistan as well," he told Sky Sports. "He's turned into a great player and to have him back is great for us."
Harry Brook will lead Yorkshire at Edgbaston (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Dominic Drakes will replace Finn Allen, who is away on international duty with New Zealand, as one of Yorkshire's overseas players, and will look to strengthen a Vikings' bowling attack who have conceded the most runs of any side in the tournament. Yorkshire are the only side at Finals Day to have not won the Blast, and without their England starlets, Brook and Lyth are integral to reversing those fortunes.
Lancashire probably look better placed coming into Finals Day – while Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone are missing on England duty, they leave behind a reliable core who have proved themselves over the years.
Steven Croft has led the batting unit admirably, scoring 498 runs at an average of 41.50 this year, while captain Dane Vilas has more than 350 runs with a strike rate a tick over 160. Their reliability proved crucial in a seven-wicket win over Essex in the quarter-finals.
That's without considering the likes of Phil Salt, who returns for Finals Day, Keaton Jennings and the hard-hitting Tim David, whose strike rate of 180 can win games single-handedly.
With such a wealth of resources, captain Vilas is not rueing Buttler and Livingstone's absence. "It would have been nice: those two add a huge amount of value to our team. We've lost them before and we've had to adapt," he said.
Lancashire also bite in the bowling department. Richard Gleeson's performances earned him an England debut at the age of 34, with his 23 wickets coming at an economy rate of 7.83 in the Blast, and while fellow England international Matt Parkinson may have struggled against India, he returns to familiar territory in the Blast.
The fact Lancashire could limit Essex to a score of just 161 in the quarter-final, after they broke 250 against Glamorgan in the previous game, without Gleeson or Parkinson is testament to their depth.
The two Roses matches this year have been pure entertainment. The first, on a cold night in Lancashire, ended in the competition's only tie, as Phil Salt and Harry Brook top-scored for their respective sides. Lightning then came out on top in the second meeting, with four players scoring 40 plus, while Yorkshire demonstrated their reliance on just a few, their batting scorecard featuring just four double-figure scores.
You might expect Lancashire's batting and bowling depth to be just too much for Yorkshire on Saturday, but T20 cricket so often operates as the ultimate leveller.
Rilee Rossouw has hammered Somerset into the last four (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The afternoon semi-final sees two stalwarts of Finals Day do battle once again. Hampshire and Somerset will contest their fifth match at the tournament finale, and the second consecutive after facing each other in 2021.
Somerset lost just four of their 14 matches in the group stages, while they pulled out a record-breaking performance to reach Edgbaston. They scored an English record 265 for 5 to inflict Derbyshire's largest ever loss, in a contest that Falcons head coach Mickey Arthur described as "embarrassing".
Rilee Rossouw has been an enigma this year, scoring 600 runs at a strike rate of 197.36. No one had previously scored more than 600 runs in a T20 season at a strike rate more than 185. His 93 from 36 balls in the quarter-final prompted plenty of praise from captain Tom Abell.
"He's been absolutely out of this world," he said. "He's been unbelievably consistent for us and obviously the way he bats, he's just so destructive and probably hits the cleanest ball I've ever seen."
The reality is that he's just one of a clutch of strong power hitters down at Taunton. Abell, Will Smeed and Tom Banton have all scored more than 340 runs, and have undoubtedly benefitted from the freedom of a long batting line-up. One of those who provided lower order batting, Craig Overton, is missing due to his England commitments, but likely replacement Lewis Goldsworthy is no slouch with the bat either.
Somerset have rested on seam-bowling prowess with the ball. Ben Green and Peter Siddle have taken 37 wickets between them, while Lewis Gregory has chipped in with 15 wickets at an average of 19.06. Somerset's strength is certainly in their batting, but don’t rule them out with the ball either, having taken the joint-most number of wickets in the tournament.
Hampshire's prowess with the ball has undermined their campaign (David Rogers/Getty Images)
There is little surprise to once again see them paired with Hampshire. James Vince's side have four bowlers with over 17 wickets to their name. Brad Wheal has been superb; his 21 wickets have come at an average of 15.42 – the lowest of the top 10 wicket-takers bar Durham’s AJ Tye.
Liam Dawson has stepped up to the plate as Hampshire's premier spinner this year, but Vince may hold him back against Somerset after he was taken for 54 runs against them earlier in the competition.
Hampshire haven't yet set the Blast alight with their batting this year, with just one member of their squad in the top 15 run-scorers. Captain Vince tops the standings with 653 runs at an average of 54.41 and a tournament-high score of 129 not out.
Perhaps ominously, that came against Somerset, to add another layer to this match-up. Ben McDermott and Joe Weatherley have given Vince able assistance, but neither score at a particularly outstanding rate – 140.70 and 133.47 respectively.
With a win apiece in the group stages, this tie looks like an absolute belter, especially if their previous Finals Day meetings are anything to go by. In a chaotic finale to the 2010 final, there was nothing to choose between them, with Hants claiming the trophy on fewer wickets lost.
Will Brook and Lyth bat Lancashire out of the contest, or can Parkinson and Gleeson flex their international credentials? Will Rossouw take over, or are Hampshire destined to exact revenge?
Finals Day always delivers drama and excitement. The class of 2022 should ensure a repeat as the competition celebrates 20 years at the top.
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