T20 Blast final: Northamptonshire Steelbacks beat Hampshire Hawks
The Northamptonshire Steelbacks defeated the Hampshire Hawks to win their third T20 Blast cricket title at Edgbaston. Despite a late-innings collapse, Northants secured the victory by 14 runs thanks to a strong bowling performance.
Why it matters
This result marks a significant milestone for the Northamptonshire club in the competitive English domestic T20 cricket circuit.
Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Northants added to their T20 Blast titles from 2013 and 2016
Northamptonshire Steelbacks 169 (19.5 overs) : Vasconcelos 88; Baker 5-21
Hampshire Hawks 155 (19.2 overs) : Weatherley 75; Sales 3-25
Northamptonshire Steelbacks claimed their third T20 Blast title after beating Hampshire Hawks in an enthralling Edgbaston final.
After being asked to bat first the Steelbacks survived a monumental collapse, losing their final eight wickets for 31 to post 169, opener Ricardo Vasconcelos providing the backbone with 88.
But they mounted a fine comeback of their own with the ball to prevent Hampshire becoming the first team to win four T20 Blast titles in a nerve-shredding climax which went to the final over.
The Hawks needed 31 to win from the final 20 balls with five wickets in hand but that became 15 to win from the final six balls with just two wickets remaining.
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