Hampshire retained their composure to defeat Lancashire in an incredible final to win the T20 Blast for a record-equaling third time.
Hampshire rejoiced when Nathan Ellis bowled Richard Gleeson, only to be no-balled as Lancashire needed four runs off the final ball while chasing 152-8.
However, Lancashire concluded with 151-8 to suffer their third T20 final loss despite now needing just two runs to win.
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS ARE VITALITY BLAST CHAMPIONS!!!! 🏆 #Blast22 #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/Rrmu9TnK3N
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 16, 2022
In a gripping Edgbaston thriller, Ben McDermott played 62 for the Hawks in the lead role.
The man of the match award went to Craig McDermot.
After triumphs in Cardiff in 2012 and Southampton in 2010, Hampshire’s third victory, their first at Edgbaston, tied Leicestershire’s tally of three T20 trophies.
In the first Finals Day Roses Match, Lancashire’s new England white-ball paceman Richard Gleeson made a quick breakthrough when he bowled Hawks skipper James Vince with the ninth ball of the innings. Semi-final hero Tom Prest soon followed. This came after Lancashire had earlier defeated Yorkshire in a game of two 200-plus scores.
After that, Matt Parkinson bowled McDermott in his third over, adding the crucial wicket, before claiming a fourth in his last over to dismiss Ellis as well. As a result, Joe Weatherley and Liam Dawson both holed out cheaply.
Luke Wood, a left-arm pacer who represented Worcestershire in the 2018 T20 Blast final, bowled with great accuracy to claim 2-26.
Phil Salt went 4-6 off his first two deliveries to start the Lancashire run chase, but he then conceded a catch off his third delivery.
As a result, Steven Croft, their all-time leading T20 scorer, was introduced. Croft played admirably for his 36 runs before being dismissed after McDermott botched a Mason Crane edge, which sadly resulted in Croft being caught in the wicketkeeper’s pad.
Croft’s withdrawal led Lancashire to worry when they were comfortably placed on 72-1 in the eighth over; Keaton Jennings and Dane Vilas were able to escape with careless shots, and big-hitting Tim David flopped when he missed a straight one from James Fuller.
Luke Wells thought he had it in the bag when he hit Wood for sixes and fours in quick succession. However, they still needed 11 runs off the last over, and Hampshire, superbly led by three-time champion and men’s Hundred winning captain Vince, just about hung on.
