Laurie Evans blasts Manchester Originals into the final

Evans scored 72 off 34 as Manchester Originals chased down 151 with 11 balls to spare to set up a clash with Trent Rockets at Lord's

Southampton: London Spirit 150-7, Manchester Originals 151-5 - Manchester Originals won by five wickets

Scorecard

Laurie Evans blasted a phenomenal 72 off 34 balls to send Manchester Originals to The Hundred final after they beat London Spirit by five wickets.

Opening batter Evans, who replaced the injured Jos Buttler as captain of the Originals, got his side off to a flier in response to Spirit's 150, with a 101-run stand with Salt.

A wobble led by Mason Crane and Nathan Ellis – 2 for 35 and 2 for 31 respectively – gave Eoin Morgan's men hope but Aston Turner and Tom Lammonby got Originals over the line with 11 balls to spare.

Originals will now hot-foot it up the M3 to face Trent Rockets at Lord's on Saturday night.

After Adam Rossington fell to the second ball, Ben McDermott and Zak Crawley got the innings rolling with a 69-run stand after Spirit at chosen to bat first. McDermott, who played for Hampshire in the Blast, was imperious from ball two, which he thrashed over the square boundary before bashing through cover next ball.

Bowled Crawley was swapped with Dan Lawrence, but McDermott kicked into the next gear as he guided through third to bring up a 33-ball fifty – his 59 one shy of his best for his county on this ground.

^{Ben McDermott scored a half-century for London Spirit [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]}

Just as an enormous total was brewing, the innings spluttered between balls 74 and 85, as Originals twice went bang-bang.

First, it was Paul Walter who picked up McDermott with a slower ball sent out to deep midwicket and then Morgan caught at mid-off first ball. Ravi Bopara resolutely blocked the hat-trick ball, as Walter ended up with figures of 3 for 29.

Then in the following end, Matt Parkinson had Lawrence holing out before Jordan Thompson's leading edge gave him two-in-two. But there was to be no hat-trick ball as the leg-spinner was bowled out.

Bopara starred in the final 15 balls, with a pair of sixes – the first swung square, the second a skier over long on – to smash 34 off 16 balls. Despite Liam Dawson slapping to extra cover, Spirit reached 150 for 7.

All eyes were on how Spirit's Hampshire-flavoured attack would defend on their county ground. Between Chris Wood, Crane, Dawson and Ellis, they have played 165 T20/Hundred games at the Ageas Bowl – taking 163 wickets in the process.

Evans, who has his own T20 history on the ground with two half-centuries, didn't care for 'home' advantage. He'd already struck four of his first eight balls to the boundary before slog-sweeping sweetly into the stands. Another six over long-on, followed by a scampered two, took him to a 19-ball fifty – his first of the tournament.

Phil Salt had largely done his best to stay out of Evans' way, but took centre stage when he took Crane downtown, only for Evans to hit back with a six of his own off Dawson.

Their opening stand ended with ball 50 when Dawson had Salt caught and bowled and Evans followed shortly after, sweeping Crane to deep square leg. The following set, Paul Walter departed (caught Morgan, bowled Ellis): Manchester Originals 108 for 3.

Ellis then yorked Wayne Madsen and Crane got Tristan Stubbs to squirt to point to take the equation to 18 off 20 balls. But Turner and Lammonby made sure they booked their place in the showpiece without any more worries.

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