And then there were four!
Notts Outlaws, Worcestershire Rapids, Derbyshire Falcons and Essex Eagles will do battle at Edgbaston this Saturday in two semi-finals with the winners contesting the final later in the day in what is a feast of T20 cricket that has become a popular fixture in the calendar of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The form book has already been turned on its head with the winners of the North and South Divisions – Lancashire Lightning and Sussex Sharks – falling by the wayside in the quarter-finals. Indeed, three of the four teams on Finals Day are not from counties which generally host top-class cricket. Is that an indication that bigger counties are no longer targeting the T20 as opposed to the County Championship – and what does that mean for the start of the Hundred next year?
T20 Blast Finals Day fixtures and schedule
Notts Outlaws v Worcestershire Rapids – 11:00am
Derbyshire Falcons v Essex Eagles – 2:30pm
The T20 Blast Final – 6:45pm
T20 Blast Previous Winners
| 2003 | Surrey |
| 2004 | Leicestershire |
| 2005 | Somerset |
| 2006 | Leicestershire |
| 2007 | Kent |
| 2008 | Middlesex |
| 2009 | Sussex |
| 2010 | Hampshire |
| 2011 | Leicestershire |
| 2012 | Hampshire |
| 2013 | Northamptonshire |
| 2014 | Warwickshire |
| 2015 | Lancashire |
| 2016 | Northamptonshire |
| 2017 | Nottinghamshire |
| 2018 | Worcestershire |
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE OUTLAWS (9/4 with Betway) are looking for some compensation for a truly dreadful County Chamnpionship Division One campaign which has seen them relegated with two matches still to play. The Outlaws haven’t won a single match in the longest form of the game this year but have reached the knockout stages of the T20 Blast in nine of the last 10 years, making it to Finals Day on four occasions. They were winners in 2017 and England’s World Cup reject Alex Hales propelled them to an easy quarter-final success over a Middlesex side featuring the likes of Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan and AB de Villiers. Harry Gurney is an excellent limited-overs bowlers and, if Notts can maintain that form, they are the team to beat.
WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS (a general 5/2) are the defending champions having struggled to make it to Finals Day prior to last year. Captain Moeen Ali may have lost his place in the England Test team having been a key part of his country’s World Cup triumph earlier in the summer but he took out his frustrations on Sussex Sharks in the quarter-finals. That batting performance was a reminder of his talents and it’s just a pity that the semi-final draw has paired the last two winners of the trophy.
ESSEX EAGLES (a general 3/1) are still chasing a first victory in the T20 Blast, despite having made Finals Day on four separate occasions. They’ve yet to reach a Final but will fancy their chances of putting that right this year drawn against outsiders and Finals Day debutants Derbyshire. Lancashire Lightning looked to have batted the Eagles out of sight in their semi-final at a freezing Durham but a late onslaught from vintage pairing Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate saw the southerners over the line. Years of underachievement need to be forgotten if they are to triumph on the big stage.
DERBYSHIRE FALCONS (4/1 with William Hill) have nearly always been the poor relations of English county cricket so are determined to enjoy a rare glimpse of the limelight. There are few stars among their ranks – and some who are in the twilight of their careers – but spinner Matt Critchley has impressed with ball in hand in this summer’s T20 and their long-suffering fans will enjoy their day out at Edgbaston. The four semi-finalists this year could not have been predicted so that strengthens their hand.
T20 Blast Finals Day Predictions
ESSEX EAGLES have the easiest semi-final draw on paper and the winners of the second semi-final often go on to win the final. Their side has plenty of variation and T20 experience so they look the value.
