Here is all the latest news, scores and match report updates from the Vitality Blast T20 2022: All Matches Friday June 24th   

 

Vitality Blast T20 2022: All Matches Friday June 24th 

 

Gloucestershire vs Hampshire, South Group County Ground, Bristol 6:30 PM

 

Hampshire boosted their chances of a place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a nine-run South Group victory over Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol. 

The Hawks posted 178 for seven after losing the toss, opener Ben McDermott leading the way with 50, including 2 sixes and 5 fours. Ryan Higgins claimed three for 24.  

In reply, the hosts slumped to 64 for five before James Bracey (40) and Jack Taylor (37) doubled that total for the sixth wicket and Benny Howell blasted 34 off just 13 balls as they closed on 169 for seven. 

Former Gloucestershire player James Fuller was the pick of an impressive Hawks attack with two for 23 from his four overs as they moved into the top four in the group.

Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir did an excellent job for Gloucestershire in the initial six-over powerplay, removing both Hampshire top scorers from their victory over Somerset at Taunton 24 hours earlier. 

James Vince, who went into the game as the leading run-maker in the Blast with 528, added 15 to that tally before edging a back-foot forcing shot through to wicketkeeper Bracey in the third over. 

It was 49 for two in the sixth when Tom Prest departed to another Bracey catch, advancing to drive Amir, who went on to take two for 31. 

By then McDermott had his eye in, pulling a six and a four off successive balls from David Payne. The Australian plundered another ten runs off two deliveries in the tenth over, sent down by leg-spinner Taylor. 

Tom Smith put a brake on the scoring rate by bowling Joe Weatherley for 17 with a ball that turned in the 12^th over, which saw McDermott move to a 36-ball half-century. 

He was bowled around his legs, moving across his stumps, by Payne in the next over to make it 103 for four.  

Ross Whiteley threatened briefly, hitting Smith for a four and six before falling leg-before, swinging across a full toss from Ryan Higgins, who also sent back Toby Albert in the 16^th over. 

But Fuller (22) and Liam Dawson (20 not out) ensured the Hawks of a competitive total with a seventh-wicket stand of 38 from 20 balls. 

The home side’s reply started badly when Miles Hammond was caught at extra cover off the second ball, bowled by Chris Wood. 

Chris Dent provided early momentum with three successive fours of Wood’s second over before two quick wickets in the final one of the powerplay. 

Fuller had Ian Cockbain caught off a leading edge for 19 and then bowled Dent through the gate for 24 to leave Gloucestershire 48 for three. 

Brad Wheal had Glenn Phillips caught at mid-off off a miscue with no addition to the score and, with rain in the air, the hosts were suddenly behind the required rate under DLS. 

Their position worsened in the eighth over when Dawson turned a ball past Higgins outside edge and bowled him for nine. By the halfway point in their innings, Gloucestershire were 78 for five, requiring a further 101. 

It never looked on as the Hawks bowlers and Fuller in particular held their nerve to contain Bracey and Taylor, who was dropped on 11, but could never completely find his timing.  

Both players hit straight sixes in the 15^th over, bowled by Wheal. But when Bracey was caught at long-off in the 17^th, the asking rate was up around 14 an over. 

A brilliant last onslaught by ex-Hampshire player Howell, with 3 fours and 2 sixes, was not enoug and Taylor's wicket in the last over ended Gloucestershire hopes.

 

 

Durham vs Nottinghamshire, North Group Emirates Riverside Ground, 6:30 PM

Nottinghamshire Outlaws held their composure in the final over to edge out a narrow two-run win over Durham in their Vitality Blast clash at Seat Unique Riverside.

Heavy rain at Chester-le-Street reduced the contest to 11 overs per side, but the Outlaws still mustered a solid total of 98 for nine courtesy of a fine knock of 34 from Steven Mullaney along with a useful 11-ball 25 from Tom Moores. Ben Raine gave Durham a target to chase with a tidy spell of three for 12 from his three overs.

However, the home side failed to time the ball to put the pressure on the Outlaws amid miserly bowling Matthew Carter and Samit Patel. Ned Eckersley gave Durham hope in the final over with successive boundaries, but he and Michael Jones could not complete the job, falling just short of the target.

The elements caused an almost two-hour delay and reduced the contest to 11 overs per side. Requiring impetus at the top of the order in a shortened game, Joe Clarke began the innings brightly by striking Raine's first ball down the ground, only then to sky the fifth ball to Liam Trevaskis at long-on. Alex Hales and Ben Duckett also fell cheaply, presenting simple catches to Ashton Turner, allowing Brydon Carse and AJ Tye to enter the wicket column, reducing Nottinghamshire to 16 for three.

Moores came out in blistering form, scoring three boundaries in his first four balls, capitalising on a shortened powerplay of 3.2 overs. He continued his assault, taking a further 10 off Trevaskis' first three deliveries before he was given a life by Paul Coughlin. However, his reprieve lasted only one ball as Nathan Sowter produced a sensational diving catch at long-off to remove the left-hander for 25.

Mullaney held the Outlaws' innings together and dispatched his first six into the stands, with a sweetly-timed pull against Tye. He added a boundary courtesy of a mistake from Graham Clark, who fumbled a catch into the boundary. Raine returned for the final over to dismiss Lyndon James and Patel to hold the visitors to 98 for nine from their 11 overs.

Carter ensured that Durham's response began slowly, prising out Clark for one caught behind and then the vital wicket of Turner for only three. Trevaskis displayed intent by sweeping his first ball for six, but his stay would be short after making 12 before being bowled by a quicker ball from Patel. Raine answered back for Durham by taking Mullaney for back-to-back sixes to the short leg-side boundary, leaving the contest in the balance at the half-way stage.

Outlaws skipper Dan Christian brought himself into the attack and produced a brilliant yorker to bowl Raine for 16, while Patel produced a gem of an eighth over to concede only three and send Carse on his way. The required run rate climbed to 12 runs per over, cranking up the pressure on the hosts.

Luke Fletcher held his nerve to leave Durham needing 16 off the final over to force their fourth win of the competition. Clean striking from Eckersley with a six and four in successive balls gave Durham a chance, but Christian responded with well-placed yorkers from the final two balls to concede only singles to see his team to a narrow victory.

Glamorgan vs Somerset, South Group Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 6:30 PM

Somerset put themselves one step closer to qualification for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a 16 run win over Glamorgan in Cardiff.

Persistent rain reduced the match to a seven over contest with Glamorgan putting Somerset into bat. Early wickets pegged the visitors back but some powerful blows from Tom Abel and Ben Green took Somerset to 75 for six. 

Just as was the case with the Somerset innings, Glamorgan suffered early losses as they got the chase underway. Unlike Somerset they did not have the late acceleration to get them to their target with Colin Ingram playing a lone hand to finish on 37 not out. 

This win takes Somerset to 16 points, and while a quarter-final isn’t a mathematical certainty they are extremely well placed.

Once the match got underway Michael Neser gave Glamorgan the perfect start with the ball. Somerset lost the wickets of Tom Banton and Rilee Rossouw from consecutive balls, both batters dismissed for golden ducks. Banton attempted to scoop a length ball to the boundary and it crashed into his stumps. Rossouw pulled a shorter ball into the hands Sam Northeast at mid-wicket. 

Somerset’s batting efforts received another blow in the second over, Will Smeed chipped a ball from Michael Hogan to Andrew Salter at mid off for 3. His wicket meant that Somerset were 7 for three inside the first two overs.

Prem Sissodya’s first over also brought a wicket, Lewis Gregory edging behind to wicket-keeper Alex Horton for 7 to leave his side 15 for four. The second over from Sissodya spinner contained two boundaries before he bowled Tom Lammonby for 18 to leave Somerset at 41 for five with two overs to go.

Michael Hogan almost claimed his second wicket of the night when he came back into the attack when Abell hit a drive high into the Cardiff sky. Kiran Carlson was the fielder and he couldn’t hold on to what would have been a very impressive catch.

Abel and Green were impressive in the final two overs, putting on 34 runs in 13 balls at the end of the Somerset innings. 

Glamorgan’s pursuit of the 76 run target got off to a poor start, Sam Nottheast becoming the third player to be dismissed first ball when he edged Craig Overton through to Tom Banton. David Lloyd fell the following over, bowled by Peter Siddle for just 1 to reduced Glamorgan to 17 for two.

Dan Douthwaite, promoted up the order in this shortened game, lasted four balls before be holed out on the boundary edge for just 3 with Green picking up the wicket.

Green’s impressive all-round performance continued in his second over when Kiran Carlson edged him through to Banton for 7.

Ingram and Eddie Byrom where left with 38 runs required from just 12 balls. That equation became 32 from 11 when Byrom smashed Josh Davey for six but the Glamorgan batter was trapped lbw the very next ball.

Ingram swung manfully in the final over but there was too much left to do with Somerset claiming their eighth win of this Blast campaign. 

Northamptonshire vs Yorkshire, North Group County Ground, Northampton 6:30 PM

Harry Brook’s blistering knock of 67 from 31 balls dug Yorkshire Vikings out of trouble and propelled them into the Vitality Blast North Group qualification places at Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ expense.

Brook’s effort, which included four fours and four sixes, underpinned his partnership of 90 from 46 with skipper David Willey as the Vikings fought back after a dreadful start to post 190 for seven at Wantage Road.

Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Waite registered a T20 career-best with both bat and ball, following an unbeaten 35 from 20 with figures of three for 18 as the home side crumpled to 128 all out in 16.2 overs.

It was a third straight defeat for Northamptonshire, who have now dropped out of the top four and face a struggle to make the quarter-finals.

Josh Cobb’s decision to send Yorkshire in after winning the toss was swiftly justified as the Steelbacks skipper (one for 16) opened proceedings with two tight overs and the wicket of Fabian Allen, caught off a leading edge at short cover.

With Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore both holing out to Ben Sanderson, the visitors slumped to a perilous 11 for three in the fourth over before Willey (31 from 24) and Brook hauled them back into the game.

Willey, who rejoins Northamptonshire at the end of the season, was required to play little more than a supporting role while his partner tore into the bowling, lifting Sanderson, Tom Taylor and Jimmy Neesham for a series of majestic leg-side sixes.

Aside from a powerful drive straight back at Sanderson, who could only parry the ball, Brook offered no chances as he raced to his half-century from 21 deliveries and looked odds-on to convert that into a ton.

However, he became one of three victims in five balls for Graeme White (three for 30) – and the only controversial one of those dismissals, given out caught behind after swinging across at the left-arm spinner.

Any prospect of a renewed Yorkshire collapse was averted by Jordan Thompson (30) and Waite, who crashed Sanderson for three boundaries off the final over as the visitors finished with a flourish.

Northamptonshire made just as subdued a start to their innings, with Ben Curran chopping on to Willey and Shadab Khan’s tidy leg-spin provoking Cobb into a wild heave that saw his bat fly towards square leg, while the ball sailed away into the hands of backward point.

But it was Waite who collected the prize scalp with his third delivery as big-hitting opener Chris Lynn speared it straight to Willey at mid-on to leave the Steelbacks teetering at 22 for three.

Neesham briefly revived his side’s hopes by hammering 26 from 13 but, having dispatched Shadab over the midwicket fence twice in an over, he picked out the point fielder next ball – and the procession gathered pace.

Dom Bess (two for 25) struck twice in as many deliveries and, despite a late flurry of boundaries by Nathan Buck (19 from 11), the outcome was never in doubt.

Derbyshire vs Lancashire, North Group County Ground, Derby 7:00 PM

George Scrimshaw bowled a superb final over to give Derbyshire Falcons a five run victory over Lancashire Lightning in the Vitality Blast game at Derby.

The fast bowler had gone for 48 from his first three overs but conceded only five off his last as the North Group leaders came up short on 183 for 5, chasing 189.

Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls but could only watch from the other end as Scrimshaw kept the Falcons quarter-final hopes alive.

Shan Masood with 75 from 50 balls and Wayne Madsen, 70 off 30, drove the Falcons to 188 for 8 and 47 but Steven Croft’s 47 from 29 balls put the Lightning on course until Scrimshaw had the final word.

After the Lightning elected to bowl, the Falcons were restricted to 44 from the powerplay for the loss of Luis Reece who sent a return catch to Tom Hartley off the fifth ball of the innings.

The ball crossed the ropes only four times during the first six overs, four of those overthrows, and Hayden Kerr’s attempt to break the shackles two overs later ended in the hands of cover.

That brought together Madsen and Masood who accelerated with a mixture of orthodoxy and improvisation.

Masood lofted Luke Wells down the ground before Madsen scooped Tom Hartley over the wicketkeeper for four and then drove the left-armer to the cover boundary.

Masood hammered Danny Lamb back over his head for four on his way to his fifth 50 of the competition, a record for Derbyshire, and Madsen powered to his half-century off only 23 balls.

He pulled Wells over midwicket for the first six of the innings as 19 came from the 14th over and Masood tore into Lamb in the 16th, driving and pulling the seamer for two sixes before lifting a full toss to mid off.

But Madsen was striking the ball with power and precision, taking 18 off four balls from Richard Gleeson before he was lbw to the next.

The pair had plundered 64 from four overs but the Lightning recovered well with Luke Wood and Gleeson conceding only 20 from the last three overs.

Even so, it left the Lightning with a tough chase and they lost Phil Salt in the third over when he was superbly caught by Leus du Plooy diving at deep square leg.

Wells pulled Mark Watt for two sixes in the next over and Croft dispatched George Scrimshaw for another maximum with 19 coming off the fifth.

The powerplay ended with the Lightning 64 for 1 and Scrimshaw came in for more punishment in his second over with Croft pulling him for six before Wells called for a new bat and promptly struck two fours.

Croft was dropped on 33 at short fine leg off Alex Hughes but du Plooy took another good catch to remove Wells who pulled the off-spinner to deep midwicket.

The Lightning needed 91 off 10 overs but the Falcons were stemming the run flow and Dane Vilas was caught behind cutting Matt McKiernan in the 12th over.

Croft launched Hughes over long on for six but was brilliantly caught at backward point off Watt in the 14th over.

David responded by pulling and driving McKiernan for two sixes and another six off Scrimshaw left the Lightning needing 33 off  24 balls.

Kerr and Watt conceded only 10  off the next two overs and although Rob Jones pulled Kerr for four, the Lightning needed 11 off six balls.

Scrimshaw delivered when it mattered, trapping Jones lbw with his fifth ball before Lamb missed a wild swing at the last to end another T20 thriller.

Essex vs Surrey, South Group County Ground, Chelmsford 7:00 PM

 

Michael Pepper continued his Vitality Blast love affair with the Cloud County Ground before Aaron Beard returned career-best figures as Essex Eagles condemned Surrey to a second straight loss.

Pepper took his Chelmsford tally to 304 in six innings – and 386 in total – with a tubthumping 48 as Paul Walter continued his fine form with a 49 as the Eagles soured to 198.

Before fast bowler Beard, on just his second appearance of the season, nipped openers Will Jacks and Jason Roy to eventually pick up four for 29 – as Surrey fell 43 runs short.

Essex boosted their hopes of securing a home quarter-final to move to seven wins out of 12, while Surrey remain top and will host a home knockout game but having been previously unbeaten in all competitions until Thursday night have lost momentum.

On a fixture celebrating Essex Pride, Surrey stuck the Eagles in to bat and had Adam Rossington caught behind in the second over, with the first two overs only going for six before Pepper went ballistic.

He struck 30 from the first nine balls he faced, with just a dot and a single punctuating his boundary blitz. The South African-born batter began by scooping a six, something he replicated in the following over between a bullet cut shot and followed by four consecutive boundaries off Dan Moriarty.

His hitting paused after a strike to the box, which he never really recovered from as he limped to five more runs before he reversed straight to third – the second wicket in three balls for Sunil Narine.

Essex’s rebuild and second 10 overs were a textbook display of accumulation – with only seven dot balls, along with four wickets coming in the second half of the innings for 110 runs.

Walter was the chief architect of the scoring with his 49, which included four towering sixes, as he put on 51 with Dan Lawrence and 44 with Simon Harmer.

Topley made sure his former county didn’t get to 200 as he chipped away throughout and added Walter, Daniel Sams and Harmer to his earlier Rossington dismissal to end up with four for 35.

Beard made an electrifying start as he picked up both a yorked Roy and Will Jacks – the ball after selecting a new bat – brilliantly caught at short fine leg by Tom Westley.

Smith and Rory Burns put on 57 with a low-risk approach, while still keeping up with the rate before Lawrence stuck one through Smith. Burns followed by screwing Beard to mid-on and Narine fired back at Harmer as Surrey lost their way.

Laurie Evans continued the slump when sub fielder Ben Allison produced a spectacular solo relay catch at wide long-on – Harmer grabbing two wickets in the over to return two for 20. Beard had debutant Tom Lawes skying on mid-on for his fourth.

Sams pilfered Chris Jordan and Sam Cook had Conor McKerr as Surrey could only reach 155 for nine.

Kent vs Sussex, South Group St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 7:00 PM

 

The Sussex Sharks’ slim chances of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals are over, after they were beaten by six wickets by the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury. 

Joe Denly hit 58 and Sam Billings was unbeaten on 33 as Kent eventually coasted home with seven balls remaining, to finish on 159 for four. 

Grant Stewart earlier took 3 for 38 and George Linde two for 14 as Kent restricted Sussex to 158 for seven. Ali Orr made 36 and Harrison Ward 33, but the Sharks failed to kick on after racing to 76 for 1 at the end of eight overs. 

In a derby billed as “The War of the Wealds”, Kent made an early breakthrough when, having won the toss and chose to bowl, Fred Klaassen had Mohammad Rizwan caught at gully for four with the fourth ball of the innings, but Orr and Ward responded with a rapid partnership of 73. 

Having endured a brutal debut at home to Gloucestershire on Tuesday night, when his only over went for 26, Jas Singh looked like getting a deserved wicket when Ward skied him to mid on, but Klaassen dropped the catch. and the run rate was threatening to get out of hand until the Spitfires took two wickets in the ninth over. Ward was run out by Ahmad, chasing a non-existent single to point and Qais then caught Tom Alsop for one off George Linde. 

Orr fell in Linde’s next over, caught at deep backward square by Jack Leaning for 33, and the same fielder caught Ravi Bopara off Qais Ahmad for seven at cow corner. 

A nonplussed Delray Rawlins was given caught behind off Qais for 28 and Rashid Khan had made just three when he chipped Grant Stewart to Tawanda Muyeye at mid off, before George Garton gave Sussex something to defend with 31 from 15 balls, before he edged the final ball of the innings to Klaassen to hand Stewart his third wicket. 

Rawlins had Muyeye plumb in front for a duck in the first over of the chase but Henry Crocombe then dropped Cox off Steven Finn when he was on four. 

Crocombe took his revenge when he tempted Cox into a miscue that was caught by Orr at short fine leg, dismissing him for 18, but Denly batted Kent into a winning position with another explosive innings that included a six off Will Beer that cleared the Frank Woolley stand - for for only the third time in its history. He moved to 50 with a single off Rawlins and then hit Bopara for another six, but edged the next delivery to Brocombe. 

With Denly gone Billings was left to anchor the chase. He lost Alex Blake was lbw to Khan for six and the boundaries dried up, but managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over with George Linde at the other end, chipping away at the target with ones and twos.  

Bopara and Khan kept Sussex in it with some tight bowling and Kent still needed 24 from 18 when Finn came on at the Pavilion End, but the former England man was pummelled for 18 runs, including successive fours off the final two balls from Linde. 

Linde hit the winning run when he edged Beer and Orr couldn’t pull in a difficult, diving catch. The result means Sussex cannot now qualify for the last eight, while the already eliminated champions Kent recorded their third Blast win of the season.  

 

Birmingham Bears vs Worcestershire, North Group Edgbaston, Birmingham 7:00 PM

 

A blistering century from Adam Hose lifted Birmingham Bears to a crushing 144-run win over Worcestershire Rapids at Edgbaston 

A crowd of 16,780, the highest in the North Group this season, saw the Bears pile up 228 for eight thanks to a buccaneering stand of 91 from 53 balls between Hose (110 not out, 53 balls) and Dan Mousley (53, 34). Hose hit 13 fours and four sixes on the way to becoming the first Bears player to score two Blast tons. 

The Rapids' horrible T20 campaign then went from bad to worse as they floundered to 84 all out, Danny Briggs taking four for 26, Jake Lintott two for 12 and Olly Stone two for 17. 

The thumping of their arch-rivals, their heaviest ever Blast victory, takes the Bears to the brink of qualification for the quarter-finals. For the Rapids, this miserable campaign cannot end too soon. 

The Rapids chose to bowl and had the Bears three for two after two legitimate balls as Mitchell Stanley bowled Alex Davies and had Sam Hain caught at slip first ball. 

Rob Yates (20, eight balls) greeted Moeen Ali into the attack with successive fours before fatally edging the next but, as Hose and Mousley got going, a powerplay which was frenetic even by Blast standards ended with the Bears 79 for three. 

Both batsmen galloped to 30-ball half-centuries before Mousley, having sparkled in his first Blast knock of 2022, reverse-lapped Adam Finch to point. That was the first of three wickets in nine balls for Finch as Chris Benjamin hoisted to long off and Carlos Brathwaite was castled first ball.  

Hose cavorted on though and reached his ton from 51 balls in the penultimate over, celebrating with a four and a six from the two further balls he faced. 

The Rapids' reply suffered immediate damage when they lost Polly and Dolly in the first seven deliveries, Ed Pollock lifting Olly Stone to mid on and Brett D'Oliveira steering Craig Miles to slip. The visitors' main hope then swiftly disappeared when Ali hoiked Mousley's first ball to deep mid-wicket. 

Whereas the Bears piled up 79 in the powerplay, the Rapids mustered just 31 and there was no way back from there. Colin Munro (34, 28 balls) landed a blow or two but after he edged Briggs and Dwayne Bravo lifted the next ball to long off it was 49 for five and the big, noisy Bears crowd could start celebrating a win that takes their side to the threshold of the quarter-finals. 

 

 

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