Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
Watch: Bizarre scenes in T20 Blast Final as umpire calls no-ball after fireworks go off to celebrate Hampshire's win
Fireworks went off at Edgbaston, and the players from all over the field and from the dugout ran into a big huddle on the field. But, befitting of a T20 final, there was drama waiting in the wings.
The T20 Blast final between Hampshire and Lancaster played host to one of the most dramatic and memorable moments in English domestic cricket history, serving as a reminder that even after over a century long history of the sport, there's always something that can surprise the spectators. Defending 5 off the final ball of the run-chase was Hampshire Hawks' Australian international Nathan Ellis, up against Richard Gleeson, fresh off against a memorable T20I debut against India, but not renowned for his ability with the bat. Ellis, with the pressure on him, stepped up and delivered an inch-perfect yorker, bowling Gleeson and sending the Hampshire team into a frenzy, as they celebrated their third Blast trophy.
Fireworks went off at Edgbaston, and the players from all over the field and from the dugout ran into a big huddle on the field. But, befitting of a T20 final, there was drama waiting in the wings. With the Hampshire players celebrating, the umpire signalled a no-ball, waving for them to take their fielding positions again.
Ellis had overstepped, and Gleeson was free, with a free-hit and 3 to win off the final ball (no-balls are penalized with two runs in the Blast). The field was still covered in smoke due to the fireworks that had gone off, and a match which had been celebrated as if it were over would have to go through the process once again: Lancashire Lightning had been given a lifeline.
However, it wasn't meant to be for them: Gleeson took strike for them. With no super-over in play, due to Hampshire's superior net run-rate over the tournament (the two teams had been tied on points), Gleeson had to swing for the boundary. He missed the slower ball all ends up, and it was collected by the wicketkeeper Ben McDermott, who took the bails off at the striker's end as a bye was stolen, before showing great awareness to rush over to the other end and doing the same before the batters could sneak another.
The celebrations were more muted this time, but fireworks did go off again in Birmingham, this time to truly mark the end of a remarkable match. In the first innings, Hampshire had been restricted to 152-8, thanks to Matthew Parkinson's 4-fer and McDermott scoring 62(36) while others struggled. In response, Lancashire, who were missing the services of on-duty Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, got off to a good start, but kept getting pegged back with wickets at regular intervals in the second half of their chase.
They needed only 51 off the last 48 balls, with the experienced Dane Vilas and Tim David at the crease, but brilliant bowling by Hampshire meant they kept themselves in the game, and truly earned that final-ball victory, even if it came with plenty of spectacle.
Hampshire will be thanking their stars that they ended up winning that match and the trophy at the end of this, with a loss after a no-ball being potentially heartbreaking and full of ignominy for the Southampton-based team. At the end of the day, however, the fireworks went off for them once again at Edgbaston, and they got to celebrate lifting the trophy with their captain James Vince. This was their first Blast title since 2012, and it will certainly be one which long lives in the memory.
