Northamptonshire vs Hampshire, Final, T20 Blast 2026 - CommentaryNHNTS vs HAM, Final, T20 Blast 2026 - Commentary

What a Finals Day it has been. All three matches were won by the side batting first, defying expectations in a format where chasing often holds the advantage. It certainly didn't look that way when Northamptonshire were bowled out for 169, but there was a reason they reached the final. They produced another disciplined, spirited bowling performance under pressure to defend the total and deservedly crowned themselves champions. For Hampshire, it is another painful near miss. Runners-up for the second successive year, they'll reflect on the fine margins that cost them another title and hope that next season proves to be third time lucky. That brings an end to our coverage. We hope you enjoyed following the action. Until next time, goodbye and stay safe..

Willey walks across to join his teammates, who are gathered behind the WINNERS board, eagerly waiting for their captain. He hoists the trophy into the Birmingham sky, sparking another spectacular burst of fireworks as gold confetti rains down across Edgbaston. The celebrations are in full flow now, with the players bouncing in unison and breaking into what appears to be the team's song. The party is only just getting started.

(2/2): [On James Sales and how he stood up] Yeah, I think it helps he's not got much between the ears! [laughs] No, he's been brilliant for us. We keep talking about how we can evolve this side, and to bring Sales in... he showed some great glimpses a couple of years ago of his skill set in white-ball cricket. He wasn't able to play last year through injury, but he's been a great asset for us. He's bowled some tough overs and he's been brilliant throughout. So, for everybody involved, we've really worked hard for this and the boys thoroughly deserve it. [On comparing his 2013 trimuph with this one] Oh, look, I think they're completely different stages of my career. It's always nice beating Surrey, so... laughs. We did that in the quarter-final last year. But, look, having moved back to my home club and come back as captain, to take us from where we were a few years ago to lifting the trophy now is pretty special.

David Willey | Northamptonshire captain (1/2): [On the noise feeling good] Oh, 100%. We've had great support here today and it's been a monumental effort from everyone throughout this campaign. So, yeah, delighted. [On moments that defined the game] Oh gosh, I haven't really thought too much about it, to be honest. No, look, I think it was obviously really important to keep taking wickets throughout that innings. Dawson came in and wrestled back a bit of momentum there. Then again, the run-out from Procter at the back end just swung it back our way. And then Sando doing what Sando does - the old boy just keeps going and delivering. Throughout this tournament I think everyone's contributed in one way or another, and we've won games from different positions. Today was exactly the same. Vas going big in the final with the bat and playing a great knock. Then all the bowlers again, that massive wicket from Calvin. It was just brilliant. It's such a great effort. All the support we've had from the backroom staff as well - it's for everyone.

(2/2): [On the run-out and keeping up with the asking rate] 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. [On the group and the experience that they have] 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.

James Vince | Hampshire captain (1/2): Yeah, first of all, congratulations to the Northamptonshire boys. They've had a fantastic competition and probably deserved winners in the end. [On the key moments] 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 finals that makes a big difference. But the way Sonny 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 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.

Ricardo Vasconcelos | Player of the Match: Yeah, I've kind of struggled to get that big score over the whole competition, and I think to get it in the final means a lot. But the way the team's played throughout the whole competition, it's been different guys stepping up throughout the tournament. So, yeah, we're all just over the moon. I can't even describe the feeling. It's amazing. [On the conditions change and how they adapted] I think the pitch played pretty similarly for us from our first game to this game. I think we didn't adapt quickly enough in the first innings. I think we were smarter with the long side of the ground and looking for threes in the second innings. It was pretty similar throughout, but we adapted quicker the second time. [On opening the batting with Chris Lynn] Yeah, he's very relaxed, the crazy man! He doesn't put too much pressure on you. So if you pick up a few dot balls, you know he's going to smack one out of the ground. So, yeah, I love playing with him. Hopefully we'll be able to do it again soon. But, yeah, he's really helped my game and he's kept me calm throughout. [On not getting three figures] No, not really. I think the trophy means more than anything.

Darren Lehmann(2/2): [On the team’s campaign and making changes during the tournament] Yeah, we had a good group stage. It allowed us to tinker a little bit. Played someone like Crocky (Steven Crook), 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, etc. Because we’re a little club, little budget, we play big. [On David Willey’s captaincy] Oh, 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.

Darren Lehmann (1/2): [On how proud he is of the team after winning 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 an unavailable player and assessing the final] No, no, 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 scrapped together the first game, 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 and 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 Crocky did the job. Saif’s was brilliant. Harrison’s 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.

Saif Zaib: [On the emotions of winning the title after last year’s disappointment] Yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable feeling. Been here, obviously last year, disappointed, but yeah, unbelievable to get here and get the win. [On the experience of the final] Unbelievable. Yeah, the atmosphere’s been absolutely unbelievable, and yeah loved every moment of being out there. [On the fighting spirit within the team] Yeah, obviously it comes from our leader David Willey. He’s been unbelievable for us. You know, today he just showed so much heart. You know, we’ve got loads of guys that can do that as well. So, yeah, it all stems from him.

Calvin Harrison: [On the emotions of winning the title] I’m quite tall, I think. But nah, it’s been a brilliant day, though. I mean, the emotions obviously poured out there. It was a tense finish, but it couldn’t have been a better conclusion for the whole competition. We’ve had a great run, and that was the best way to obviously finish it. [On his bowling plans] Very happy with the day, yeah. It was pretty simple plans, just rip it at the top of the stumps. Obviously, they got a couple away in that second game, but it was just keep simple plans and keep spinning it. There was a lot of bounce in the wicket, so I was able to use that and then try and skid a couple on. So it was a pretty simple game plan, just keep ripping it. [On the conversations within the team during the tense finish] I don’t think we needed to keep each other going. I think there was a pretty simple goal, and we’ve all really bought into the whole thing. So there was not one man on that pitch that didn’t believe that we could win, I think, the whole way through. And it came out in the end. Obviously, there were some really crucial overs there, like Procter’s one where we got Key. That was sort of going to be the key. We needed to bowl them out, really. And we did that. So the guys stuck at it, and Sandy (Sanderson) bowled another beauty to finish us off.

Luke Procter: [On his emotions after helping Northamptonshire win the title] Obviously coming in, I’ve not played the full tournament. The boys have been brilliant all the way through. To step in at the end, I was a little bit nervous, to be honest, but it’s a great feeling. [On holding his nerve after an expensive over in the semi-final and returning to bowl at the death] Especially in that semi-final when I went for 28 off that over. Yeah, it was tough. Gotta hold your nerve, and obviously next over, next ball. [On his pride in the team] Every single one of them. Little Northampton, done it three times, mate.

Chris Lynn: [On the celebrations after winning the title] Yeah, when you think you’ve had enough beers, have more beers. [On what the victory means to him] Oh, look, our first one coming back to Northants. I was in this position last year at Hampshire and we fell short, so, look, it means the world to play with someone like Darren Lehmann, to be honest. We didn’t even bat the 40 overs throughout the day. We managed to scrape through with the title, so it’s been a great day. We fought hard, we prepared well, and I’m just so wrapped for all the boys. They’ve contributed, everyone’s contributed throughout the season, which is really exciting. [On what made Northamptonshire such a successful team throughout the season] Look, the season goes through, you know, it takes a whack of time, and I think you go in and out of form. But what we stayed consistent with was our preparation, our recovery, and everything we did at training. David Willey and Lehmann just nailed us on that. And I think when you do that off the field, you just translate that back to the field. Not every game we blasted teams out. We had to scrap and fight, and I feel like that’s a David Willey nature, style of cricket. And, look, we just followed suit, believed in our skipper, and what an all-round team performance. [On the tense finish to the final] Yeah, but look this is why you play the game. You actually have more bad days in cricket than good, so we’re going to really savour this one.

David Willey: [On his emotions after winning the title] If anyone’s got some of these in a size 10, I need some more. Just magnificent, mate. The boys have worked so hard through this campaign, and to get across the line there, like, I’m just delighted for everyone involved. Like, the fans have been brilliant, families have come around with us and it’s just amazing for everyone. [On the team’s ability to keep finding a way to win] It’s been a credit to the boys. Throughout this tournament, we’ve won games in different ways, and different people have stood up at different times. And again, that was another example today. Like, there’s a great belief in the group, and yeah just delighted. [On his emotions during the closing stages with Luke Procter bowling] Do you know what? I’m getting old. Like, you know, I actually stayed quite calm. When that one went up at the end there, that started to go a little bit. I think it went out of the lights. But, no, we just felt like if we could get wickets at the back end there, it was going to be difficult. And, you know, credit to him, that’s why we picked him in the side. He’s just got that grit that, you know, I just love, like, competitive stuff. And he’s, you know, stood up on two occasions today after not playing much through the group stages. So, yeah, brilliant. [On the celebrations] Well, I don’t really drink, so sparkling water and get on eBay for some new shoes. No, like, the guys have earned it. Like, enjoy a drink with the boys. So, yeah, the lads can go and have a good crack. [On what the title means after the entire campaign] No, that’s it. You know, it’s been hard graft at times. The schedule’s busy. We’ve had some niggles through that we’ve had to rotate. Credit to everyone, the support staff, coaches who have served us throughout, families that are there in the background, these guys that travel around with us. Like, it was just everybody. So, it’s just been amazing.

Joe Weatherley, fresh from his match-winning 88 in the semifinal earlier in the day, once again anchored the innings superbly. He found timely boundaries, rotated the strike well and kept the asking rate comfortably in check. Alongside Liam Dawson, he looked to be steering the Hawks to a fourth title, but Dawson's run-out cracked the door open for Northamptonshire. Luke Procter delivered a superb penultimate over, leaving Sanderson with 15 runs to defend in the final over. Weatherley was Hampshire's last realistic hope, but when he fell to the very first ball of the final over, the contest was effectively settled. Sanderson completed the job in style as Northamptonshire sparked jubilant celebrations. Heartbreak once again for Hampshire, who finish runners-up for the second successive year and must wait a little longer in their pursuit of a fourth crown. For Northamptonshire Steelbacks, though, it is a night of celebration as they end a 10-year wait to lift the trophy and claim their third title. Player interviews coming up..

21:52 Local Time, 20:52 GMT, 02:22 IST: Phew! What a way to cap off Finals Day at Edgbaston. A thrilling final swung one way and then the other, with both Hampshire and Northamptonshire having moments where they looked destined to lift the trophy. In the end, it was the Steelbacks who held their nerve under pressure to emerge as worthy champions. Northamptonshire looked to have surrendered control when they suffered a dramatic collapse, losing their last 8 wickets for just 31 runs and failing to bat out their full 20 overs. Hampshire appeared firmly in the driver's seat at the innings break, but David Willey struck with the very first ball of the chase to ensure the Steelbacks stayed in the contest. The dismissal of James Vince during the powerplay proved another massive turning point, putting Hampshire on the back foot early.

Ben Sanderson to Sonny Baker, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!