155/10 (19.2)
CR : 8.02
169/10 (19.5)
CR : 8.52
Northamptonshire won by 14 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Ricardo Vasconcelos
88(59)
Saif Zaib: "(On the emotions of winning the title after last year’s disappointment] Unbelievable feeling. Been here, obviously last year, disappointed. But now, unbelievable to get here and get the win.
(On today) The atmosphere’s been absolutely unbelievable. Loved every moment of being out there.
(Where does the fighting spirit come from?) It comes from our leader. He (David Willey) has been unbelievable for us. Today he just showed so much heart. You know, we’ve got loads of guys that can do that as well. But it all stems from him."
(On today) The atmosphere’s been absolutely unbelievable. Loved every moment of being out there.
(Where does the fighting spirit come from?) It comes from our leader. He (David Willey) has been unbelievable for us. Today he just showed so much heart. You know, we’ve got loads of guys that can do that as well. But it all stems from him."
Darren Lehmann (Northamptonshire Steelbacks Coach): (How proud is he after the title?) Oh, very proud. The way they battled tonight. It’s always hard on Finals Day. So, as we know, last year we got knocked out in the back end of the semi-final to get here.
(On missing Ravi Bopara and his take on the final) We miss him (Ravi Bopara). We miss him desperately. He would have been calm, and then we probably would have ended up with maybe 180, 190. But we played really well, both innings. We scraped together the first game and really fought hard. But I thought that was about par, actually. Tonight’s score, maybe 10 short at the back end after some brilliance from Sonny Baker. So we left a few out there, but we scrapped really well.
(On recovering after the batting collapse with the bowling performance) No, but I just said we left a few out there. I thought Baker bowled fast and straight, and we just kept missing them. Something we’ve got to work on in the winter. We keep finding these reverse shots and all that. Why don’t we hit it straight? And then we had to start well. You had to start well in the powerplay. We got early wickets. Sander and Dave have done that for us all year. And then I thought Luke Procter did the job. Saif was brilliant. Harrison has been a find for us for the summer with his leg-spin. He’s been excellent. I think he’s got 20-plus wickets in the tournament. So we keep finding a way to get a wicket. And that’s what you’ve got to do in T20 cricket: somehow put pressure back on the batters, and we did that tonight.
(On the team’s campaign) Yeah, we had a good group stage. It allowed us to tinker a little bit. Played someone like Luke Procter who didn’t play, and then all of a sudden he started to play. So you give them some chance to make up. Yeah, here it’s a bit different. Unlucky night for George Scrimshaw, who’s been playing a lot for us all year. But just the way the wicket suited Procter, although he bowled his over in the first game and went for 28. But his death over was fantastic in the first game. So that was hard on George Scrimshaw. We’ve got a great squad together. Look, I’m so proud of the club and everyone involved in the club, the Shire Army and all. Because we’re a little club with a little budget, but we play big.
(On David Willey’s captaincy) He’s been fantastic, yeah. He might even have a beer tonight. I said, if we win, you’ve got to have one, so he’s got no choice. Don’t promote that on TV, by the way. But for me, it’s more a case of them enjoying the moment, living in the moment with the fans. And, you know, David Willey’s been exceptional, led from the front. And to get a result like tonight does wonders for him and the young boys playing the game."
(On missing Ravi Bopara and his take on the final) We miss him (Ravi Bopara). We miss him desperately. He would have been calm, and then we probably would have ended up with maybe 180, 190. But we played really well, both innings. We scraped together the first game and really fought hard. But I thought that was about par, actually. Tonight’s score, maybe 10 short at the back end after some brilliance from Sonny Baker. So we left a few out there, but we scrapped really well.
(On recovering after the batting collapse with the bowling performance) No, but I just said we left a few out there. I thought Baker bowled fast and straight, and we just kept missing them. Something we’ve got to work on in the winter. We keep finding these reverse shots and all that. Why don’t we hit it straight? And then we had to start well. You had to start well in the powerplay. We got early wickets. Sander and Dave have done that for us all year. And then I thought Luke Procter did the job. Saif was brilliant. Harrison has been a find for us for the summer with his leg-spin. He’s been excellent. I think he’s got 20-plus wickets in the tournament. So we keep finding a way to get a wicket. And that’s what you’ve got to do in T20 cricket: somehow put pressure back on the batters, and we did that tonight.
(On the team’s campaign) Yeah, we had a good group stage. It allowed us to tinker a little bit. Played someone like Luke Procter who didn’t play, and then all of a sudden he started to play. So you give them some chance to make up. Yeah, here it’s a bit different. Unlucky night for George Scrimshaw, who’s been playing a lot for us all year. But just the way the wicket suited Procter, although he bowled his over in the first game and went for 28. But his death over was fantastic in the first game. So that was hard on George Scrimshaw. We’ve got a great squad together. Look, I’m so proud of the club and everyone involved in the club, the Shire Army and all. Because we’re a little club with a little budget, but we play big.
(On David Willey’s captaincy) He’s been fantastic, yeah. He might even have a beer tonight. I said, if we win, you’ve got to have one, so he’s got no choice. Don’t promote that on TV, by the way. But for me, it’s more a case of them enjoying the moment, living in the moment with the fans. And, you know, David Willey’s been exceptional, led from the front. And to get a result like tonight does wonders for him and the young boys playing the game."
Most no. of Men's T20 Blast titles won
3 — Leicestershire Foxes (2004, 2006, 2011), Hampshire Hawks (2010, 2012, 2022), Somerset (2005, 2023, 2025), Northamptonshire Steelbacks* (2013, 2016, 2026)
2 — Kent Spitfires (2007, 2021), Notts Outlaws (2017, 2020)
3 — Leicestershire Foxes (2004, 2006, 2011), Hampshire Hawks (2010, 2012, 2022), Somerset (2005, 2023, 2025), Northamptonshire Steelbacks* (2013, 2016, 2026)
2 — Kent Spitfires (2007, 2021), Notts Outlaws (2017, 2020)
Liam Livingstone is the T20 Blast Player of the Year - the Player of the Tournament, that is!
Player of the Final: Ricardo Vasconcelos
Ricardo Vasconcelos (Player of the Match): "(Initial feelings) Kind of struggled to get that big score in the comp. To get that in the final means a lot. It's been different guys over the comp. We're over the moon, can't really describe the feeling, it's amazing.
(How the conditions changed) The pitch played pretty similar for us from the first game. Adapted quick enough in the first innings, shorter boundaries, we adapted quicker the second time.
(On the partnership with Lynn) He's very relaxed at the crease, doesn't put too much pressure on now. If you play out a few dots he'll smash one out the ground. Hope to see him again soon. He has helped my game a lot.
(On whether he was disappointed on missing a hundred) No, not really, the trophy means more than anything."
(How the conditions changed) The pitch played pretty similar for us from the first game. Adapted quick enough in the first innings, shorter boundaries, we adapted quicker the second time.
(On the partnership with Lynn) He's very relaxed at the crease, doesn't put too much pressure on now. If you play out a few dots he'll smash one out the ground. Hope to see him again soon. He has helped my game a lot.
(On whether he was disappointed on missing a hundred) No, not really, the trophy means more than anything."
Most runs in Men's T20 Blast 2026
591 — Joe Weatherley* (Hampshire Hawks) in 15 innings
578 — Beau Webster (Warwickshire Bears) in 12 innings
518 — Chris Lynn*(Northamptonshire Steelbacks) in 13 innings
591 — Joe Weatherley* (Hampshire Hawks) in 15 innings
578 — Beau Webster (Warwickshire Bears) in 12 innings
518 — Chris Lynn*(Northamptonshire Steelbacks) in 13 innings
James Vince (Hampshire Hawks captain): First of all, congrats to Northants. They had fantastic competition. Deserving winners.
(Where did they lose the finals?) I think we were obviously a bit sloppy in the field. A few too many went through the hands. We probably could have saved 15 or 20 runs in the field, and in the finals, that makes a big difference. But the way Sonny (Baker) bowled, and the way the guys bowled at the end, at halfway, we were pretty happy with 170. Obviously, they lost wickets regularly through the innings, but Weatherly played two great knocks today. Then the way Liam Dawson came in and got it back to what we felt was in our favour. That run-out sort of changed the momentum again, and unfortunately, the guys at the back end didn't quite have enough to get it done.
(On the conditions) Yeah, we felt conditions actually got a bit better through the day. But, obviously, in a final you don't really want it to get to 11 or 12 an over. Then you lose a wicket, and the guy coming in can find it tough on a decent wicket, but not an absolute belter. So we wanted to stay up with the rate. Obviously, that cost us a few wickets along the way. But when you come out on the wrong side, you can always find 10 or 15 runs, or a moment here and there, where you think it could have made a difference. But it's been a good competition for us overall. I'm proud of the way the guys have played. It hurts coming second, but you've got to take the long-term view. Just being in and around these occasions, getting the experience, you've got to be here to try and win it.
(Summing up the season) Yeah, we've had a number of contributions. Dawson has been in and out with England. Nealy, who didn't get a chance today, has done a great job whenever he's come in. I could go through the whole list. It's been a real squad effort. Different people have stood up at different times. As I say, I'm proud of the guys. It does hurt for a little bit, but credit to Northants."
(Where did they lose the finals?) I think we were obviously a bit sloppy in the field. A few too many went through the hands. We probably could have saved 15 or 20 runs in the field, and in the finals, that makes a big difference. But the way Sonny (Baker) bowled, and the way the guys bowled at the end, at halfway, we were pretty happy with 170. Obviously, they lost wickets regularly through the innings, but Weatherly played two great knocks today. Then the way Liam Dawson came in and got it back to what we felt was in our favour. That run-out sort of changed the momentum again, and unfortunately, the guys at the back end didn't quite have enough to get it done.
(On the conditions) Yeah, we felt conditions actually got a bit better through the day. But, obviously, in a final you don't really want it to get to 11 or 12 an over. Then you lose a wicket, and the guy coming in can find it tough on a decent wicket, but not an absolute belter. So we wanted to stay up with the rate. Obviously, that cost us a few wickets along the way. But when you come out on the wrong side, you can always find 10 or 15 runs, or a moment here and there, where you think it could have made a difference. But it's been a good competition for us overall. I'm proud of the way the guys have played. It hurts coming second, but you've got to take the long-term view. Just being in and around these occasions, getting the experience, you've got to be here to try and win it.
(Summing up the season) Yeah, we've had a number of contributions. Dawson has been in and out with England. Nealy, who didn't get a chance today, has done a great job whenever he's come in. I could go through the whole list. It's been a real squad effort. Different people have stood up at different times. As I say, I'm proud of the guys. It does hurt for a little bit, but credit to Northants."
David Willey (Northamptonshire Captain): (On winning the title) It feels absolutely fantastic. We've had a great day, and it's been a monumental effort from everybody throughout this campaign. I'm absolutely delighted.
(On the team's performance in the final) I haven't really had much time to think about it yet, but there were so many important moments. We needed to preserve wickets throughout the innings. Ricardo played a brilliant knock, Sales wrestled the momentum back in our favour, and Procter showed great composure with that run-out at the end. Then Sanderson did what he always does - he just keeps delivering. Throughout this tournament, everyone has contributed in one way or another. We've won games from different positions, and today was no different. Vasconcelos played a terrific innings with the bat, McSweeney put together an important partnership, the bowlers all chipped in, and Calvin picked up a massive wicket. It was just a brilliant all-round team effort. The support staff also deserve enormous credit because this success belongs to everyone involved.
(On James Sales' season) I think it helps that he doesn't have much between his ears! But honestly, he's been brilliant for us. We've spoken a lot about evolving this side, and James has been a huge part of that. He showed glimpses of his ability in white-ball cricket a couple of years ago, although injury kept him out last season. He came back, bowled some really tough overs, and has been outstanding throughout the competition. We've all worked incredibly hard for this, and the boys thoroughly deserve the success.
(On comparing this title with his 2013 Player of the Match performance) They're completely different stages of my career. It's always nice beating Surrey, of course, but coming back to my home club, captaining the side, and taking us from where we were a few years ago to lifting this trophy is incredibly special. It's been a complete team effort."
(On the team's performance in the final) I haven't really had much time to think about it yet, but there were so many important moments. We needed to preserve wickets throughout the innings. Ricardo played a brilliant knock, Sales wrestled the momentum back in our favour, and Procter showed great composure with that run-out at the end. Then Sanderson did what he always does - he just keeps delivering. Throughout this tournament, everyone has contributed in one way or another. We've won games from different positions, and today was no different. Vasconcelos played a terrific innings with the bat, McSweeney put together an important partnership, the bowlers all chipped in, and Calvin picked up a massive wicket. It was just a brilliant all-round team effort. The support staff also deserve enormous credit because this success belongs to everyone involved.
(On James Sales' season) I think it helps that he doesn't have much between his ears! But honestly, he's been brilliant for us. We've spoken a lot about evolving this side, and James has been a huge part of that. He showed glimpses of his ability in white-ball cricket a couple of years ago, although injury kept him out last season. He came back, bowled some really tough overs, and has been outstanding throughout the competition. We've all worked incredibly hard for this, and the boys thoroughly deserve the success.
(On comparing this title with his 2013 Player of the Match performance) They're completely different stages of my career. It's always nice beating Surrey, of course, but coming back to my home club, captaining the side, and taking us from where we were a few years ago to lifting this trophy is incredibly special. It's been a complete team effort."
So, who were the heroes of Finals Day? There were several. Ricardo Vasconcelos, after scoring 15 in the semi-final, rose magnificently on the biggest stage with 88, carrying Northamptonshire's batting almost alone. David Willey once again led from the front, both with his batting contribution earlier in the tournament and his priceless first-ball wicket in the final. James Sales continued the outstanding bowling form that helped knock over Somerset in the semi-final, while Luke Procter, Ben Sanderson, and Calvin Harrison all delivered decisive moments under immense pressure. For Hampshire, Joe Weatherley deserves enormous credit. After his unbeaten 88 powered Hampshire into the final against Nottinghamshire, he fought valiantly again with 75, but this time the support simply wasn't enough.
And now comes the moment every player dreams about. David Willey walks forward to collect the Vitality Blast trophy, raising it high as the Northamptonshire players explode in celebration around him. Fireworks light up the Birmingham sky. Smiles everywhere. Teammates embrace. Coaches applaud. The Steelbacks gather proudly behind the WINNERS board, posing together with the trophy that they fought so hard to win. Cameras flash. Cheers grow louder. A memorable Finals Day comes to the perfect end, and Northamptonshire write another glorious chapter in their history.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Darpan Tikiya, Rajarshi Das, and scorer Ashok Dayma. Also, a special thanks to AkshayaKrishna Polya for chipping in with stats. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!
And now comes the moment every player dreams about. David Willey walks forward to collect the Vitality Blast trophy, raising it high as the Northamptonshire players explode in celebration around him. Fireworks light up the Birmingham sky. Smiles everywhere. Teammates embrace. Coaches applaud. The Steelbacks gather proudly behind the WINNERS board, posing together with the trophy that they fought so hard to win. Cameras flash. Cheers grow louder. A memorable Finals Day comes to the perfect end, and Northamptonshire write another glorious chapter in their history.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Darpan Tikiya, Rajarshi Das, and scorer Ashok Dayma. Also, a special thanks to AkshayaKrishna Polya for chipping in with stats. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!