Graham Hardcastle's report
Cricket, bloody hell
It had to go to the last ball, didn’t it? Two cliffhangers today. One in the World Cup final – in fact two, because one tie was instantly followed by another. And the greatest run-chase in England’s history. All in the same summer. What a game this is, and what a year we’ve had.
Ravi Bopara managed the chase like Ben Stokes. Simon Harmer captained his team like Eoin Morgan. And so did Moeen Ali, the only protagonist in today’s dramas who also played in the World Cup final. Moeen goes down as the most distinguished loser since Kane Williamson. To Essex, the Vitality Blast, at last; to Harmer and Bopara, the spoils; to Moeen, all the feels. Thanks for your company, for supporting The Guardian, and for following this fabulous sport. Who needs The Hundred?
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Essex win by four wickets, off the last ball
Parnell bowled full, outside off, with everyone in the ring saving one, and Harmer squeezed a square drive past the man at point. What a finish. What a moment for Simon Harmer, who added 18 off seven balls to his seven wickets in the two games – the best bowling ever on Finals Day. Ravi Bopara, too, was phenomenal, stroking 36 off 22 when the heat was on. Worcestershire, who won this trophy last year, would have been worthy winners again – especially Moeen, who was immense in both matches. But the force was with Harmer.
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Essex win!
Harmer does it!!!
19.5 overs: Essex 144-6 (Bopara 36, Harmer 10) Five needed off two, and Harmer whacks another straight four! So it’s one off one. Worcs defended that earlier...
Mid-20th over: Essex 138-6 (Bopara 36, Harmer 8) It’s Parnell to bowl the last over. A single for Harmer, a single for Bopara, two for Harmer. They need seven off three to win with a tie. Got that?
19th over: Essex 134-6 (Bopara 35, Harmer 5) In comes Simon Harmer, inevitably, and he belts a slower ball back past Brown for four. So it’s down to the last over, and 12 are needed. If it’s a tie, the tie-breaker is wickets lost, which favours Essex unless this over goes for 11 runs and three wickets. Deep breath.
Wicket! Walter b Brown 14 (Essex 129-6)
Pat Brown – what a bowler he is. After being thumped for four by Walter, he responds with a fearless knuckle ball and gets his reward.
18th over: Essex 123-5 (Bopara 34, Walter 9) Parnell starts with a wide but recovers well, conceding only singles – until Bopara, twitching visibly, steals two into no-man’s-land. The crowd sing Hey Jude, and maybe the Worcester fans are happier now... It’s 23 needed off 12.
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17th over: Essex 116-5 (Bopara 30, Walter 7) Brown comes on for what Nasser calls the battle of the finishers. Bopara wins this round, waiting for a slower ball and pulling it for a flat six. He has four boundaries already, off 17 balls, while his team-mates have seven between them, off 85. Sweet Caroline rings out, and Bumble can’t resist joining in. His voice is better than his microphone technique.
16th over: Essex 107-5 (Bopara 22, Walter 7) It’s Moeen’s last over. See off or tee off? Bopara’s not one to die wondering, so he slaps a full one over long-off. Moeen finishes with 4-0-22-0, fine figures, but not match-winning ones yet. Essex need 39 from 24 balls.
15th over: Essex 97-5 (Bopara 14, Walter 2) Back comes Barnard, and Bopara edges him – for four. That wasn’t what Bopara intended, but it was just what he needed. He celebrates with a cover-drive so crisp that it goes straight through Moeen at short extra. That brings the rate required below 10.
14th over: Essex 86-5 (Bopara 6, Walter 2) Another wicket for Moeen, who has 2-12 off three overs. This is like watching the Under-11s: the captains have to do it all themselves.
“How are ye, Tim?” Very well, thanks, Alistair Verdon. “Moeen Ali is the best Blast captain known to man and should bat 4 for England. Enjoy the game.” In Tests?
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Wicket! Lawrence c Wessels b Moeen 23 (Essex 82-5)
Lawrence dances down the track, lifts Moeen into the night sky – and doesn’t get quite enough on it, so Wessels takes a fine catch at long-on. Worcs ARE doing it again, unless Bopara has something special up his sleeve.
12th over: Essex 82-4 (Lawrence 23, Bopara 4) “Just a period of calm,” says Mike Atherton, “as Bopara looks to play himself in.” Six singles off Pat Brown’s over. The crowd amuse themselves by making day-oh noises, as if watching Queen at Wembley.
11th over: Essex 76-4 (Lawrence 20, Bopara 1) Moeen finally turns back to himself, perhaps because he’s fed up with trying to remember how many overs everyone else has bowled, and he does the trick. At breakfast, ten Doeschate seemed such a central figure, but he’s flopped in both games. It feels like Bopara or bust.
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Wicket! ten Doeschate c Mitchell b Moeen 1 (Essex 75-4)
Moeen strikes! ten Doeschate whips to leg and can’t keep it down, giving midwicket a sharp catch. The tide says Worcestershire are doing it again.
10th over: Essex 69-3 (Lawrence 15, ten Doeschate 0) So Essex reach halfway with wickets intact, but 13 behind where Worcs were at the same stage.
Wicket!! Westley c Brown b Parnell 36 (Essex 65-3)
Not any more! The return of Parnell induces a top-edged pull, and Brown does well to hold on to it after dashing in and almost sliding past the ball. End of a fine, elegant innings from Westley, forgotten by England but still cherished in Essex.
9th over: Essex 63-2 (Westley 35, Lawrence 11) A second successive over for Mitchell too, and it goes for only four, which is half the required rate. But Westley is still there, the rich man’s Wessels.
9th over: Essex 59-2 (Westley 33, Lawrence 9) Mo lets a bowler have two overs in a row! It’s D’Oliveira, and they may regret it when Lawrence gives him the charge and gets just enough on a straight drive to evade the fingertips of the leaping figure at long-off. Ten off the over: Essex need 87 off 11.
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8th over: Essex 49-2 (Westley 30, Lawrence 1) If you make enough bowling changes, one of them will work, and so it was with the introduction of Daryl Mitchell’s wily sub-medium.
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Wicket! Wheater b Mitchell 15 (Essex 47-2)
Just when the game was threatening to nod off, Adam Wheater misses a reverse sweep.
7th over: Essex 41-1 (Westley 30, Wheater 9) Yet another bowling change, as D’Oliveira comes on with his allsorts. Is Moeen planning to give ten bowlers two overs each?
6th over: Essex 36-1 (Westley 27, Wheater 7) Moeen brings on his fifth bowler in six overs, Ed Barnard of England Lions. He squeezes an edge out of Westley, but it loops just to the left of the man at backward point and dribbles away for four. Here endeth the PowerPlay, with a modest total but not many wickets, so honours are just about even.
5th over: Essex 30-1 (Westley 22, Wheater 6) Westley, who is usually measured, says to himself “Sod that” and plays a whip-drive past a startled mid-off. Ten from the over, without trying too hard.
Here’s Tom van der Gucht. “The Worcs and Notts game was incredible. Although, having said that, I only tuned in for the last two overs, so my objectivity is probably a little questionable. But still, what a collapse and what a finish. Can they muster something similar now in the final? Who needs scores of 200-plus to make it entertaining?”
4th over: Essex 20-1 (Westley 14, Wheater 4) On comes Pat Brown, whose Twenty20 bowling average is under 20, and who may get an England call-up on Monday. He comes bearing knuckle balls and concedes only four. Essex need 126 off 16 overs at a rate of nearly eight.
3rd over: Essex 16-1 (Westley 14, Wheater 0) That wicket was a big one, given the fifty Delport stroked earlier. In that knock, he outshone Westley, but maybe Westley was just waiting for an even bigger stage. He clips Parnell off his legs, for all the world as if this was a decent pitch.
WIcket! Delport c Wessels b Parnell 1 (Essex 9-1)
Moeen takes himself off, brings on Parnell, sends Wessels out to cow corner... and bags Delport! Who clips a full toss straight down Wessels’ throat.
2nd over: Essex 8-0 (Westley 7, Delport 1) It’s seam from the other end, in the shape of Charlie Morris. well, seam and a few cutters. Tom Westley on-drives him for the first four of the innings, handsomely. Is anyone else old enough to remember when Westley played for England?
1st over: Essex 1-0 (Westley 1, Delport 0) The openers treat Moeen with due respect – but they don’t get off to the usual flier. No sign of the dew, which has been talked about a lot, but not actually witnessed.
Moeen’s going to open the bowling, which is a gamble. The easiest time to bat is the first six overs.
An email comes in. “Simon Harmer, SPOTY,” says the subject line. “Nuff said,” says the rest of the email. Nice one, Simon Thomas – though you may have just libelled Ben Stokes.
Worcs finish on 145-9
Brett D’Oliveira plays a fine pull for four, then gets caught at cow corner off the very last ball for 10. But there are four byes in the mix too, so Worcestershire end up with the sort of total they defended this morning – 145, not 147, but the pitch is turning even more now than it was then. The two captains have continued their masterclass, Moeen top-scoring with 32, Harmer grabbing three more wickets. Neither of them deserves to lose. It’s obviously going to be a tie.
Wicket! Barnard c Westley b Bopara 5 (Worcs 136-8)
Bopara is back, with his super-slo-mo seamers, and an attempted ramp by Barnard just results in a dolly to backward point.
19th over: Worcs 135-7 (D’Oliveira 5, Barnard 5) A handy last over from Nijjar goes for only five, so he finishes with 4-0-31-0. Worcester need a couple of huge hits, which may be asking too much on this surface.
18th over: Worcs 130-7 (D’Oliveira 3, Barnard 2) Wickets are falling like autumn leaves, but Worcestershire are still finding runs – seven an over for the last five. And they did defend a less than towering total in the semi.
Wicket! Whiteley c Harmer b Delport 7 (Worcs 127-7)
Whiteley swings for six, as expected, but then falls trying to repeat the shot. Essex are having all the fun at the moment.
Wicket! Mitchell c Delport b Lawrence 19 (Worcs 119-6)
Mitchell, who has been busy, perishes tamely, carving Lawrence to backward point. That’s every team innings today in miniature: starting well, then falling foul of this dirt-brown pitch.
16th over: Worcs 113-5 (Mitchell 14, Whiteley 0) Mitchell’s still there, and he is joined by Ross Whiteley, who can hit a long ball. Harmer’s figures for the two games, seven for 35, have now been pronounced the best-ever on Finals Day.
Wicket! Wessels run out (walter) 31 (Worcs 112-5)
Wessels is dropped, a quarter-chance to Harmer on the long-off boundary, and celebrates his reprieve by... being run out going for a single, and not diving. That’s a dim end to a bright innings.
15th over: Worcs 107-4 (Wessels 27, Mitchell 13) Mitchell finds the boundary again, pulling Bopara behind square. Wessels hasn’t managed a boundary for some weeks, but to be fair he’s only faced eight balls in the last five overs, scoring six off them.
13th over: Worcs 98-4 (Wessels 25, Mitchell 7) Mitchell cuts for four off Nijjar, who nonetheless manages a better over than his first.
13th over: Worcs 90-4 (Wessels 24, Mitchell 1) Harmer finishes another lethal spell with figures of 4-0-16-3. The headlines will write themselves tonight, whoever wins: Captain Fantastic. There’s plenty of brown dirt about, too.
Wicket! Parnell b Harmer 19 (Worcs 90-4)
Say what you like about his bowling changes, Harmer is a hell of a bowler. He skids one on – in the dew? – to defeat Parnell’s cut, and to take his seventh wicket of Finals Day, equalling the record.
12th over: Worcs 89-3 (Wessels 24, Parnell 19) Lawrence returns for another of his one-over spells and does OK, conceding seven with no boundaries. But Wessels is still there, holding the show together, and Parnell is ticking along. I just wonder if Harmer has made too many bowling changes. Has he been, in the immortal words of Prince, too funky?
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11th over: Worcs 82-3 (Wessels 22, Parnell 14) Harmer bowls a hell of an over for no wickets, switching from over the wicket to round, getting more spin than a Government spokesperson. Apparently he was called in by England to help them in the nets before the Lord’s Test. No wonder Nathan Lyon suddenly found life so difficult.
10th over: Worcs 75-3 (Wessels 21, Parnell 13) Wayne Parnell has a dinner date to get to. He greets Nijjar by thumping him down the ground for six, and picks up another four by nutmegging the keeper. So that’s the halfway stage, and Worcs are halfway to a score that would have been enough in either of the semis.
9th over: Worcs 62-3 (Wessels 20, Parnell 1) Well. Not only was Cox playing a shot, outside the line – he actually hit the ball, poor guy. But there’s no DRS, so Harmer has 2-2 in that over, and six wickets today.
Wicket!! Cox lbw b Harmer 0 (Worcs 61-3)
He’s done it again, again. Just like in the semi, Harmer takes two in two. He gets lucky this time, as Cox may well have been struck outside the line. But still...
Wicket!! Moeen c & b Harmer 32 (Worcs 61-2)
What a moment. One captain bowls, a slow off-break (leggie to the left-hander), gripping the surface. The other is lured into his clip to leg a touch too early, gets it high on the bat. It’s a tough return chance, but Harner knows he has to hold on, diving to his left, and he does. That feels like a turning point.
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8th over: Worcs 60-1 (Moeen 32, Wessels 19) A better over from Bopara, who’s bowling so slow that if he doesn’t like the look of any particular ball, he may well be able to run after it and take it back.
7th over: Worcs 54-1 (Moeen 30, Wessels 15) Yes, it’s Harmer. And he doesn’t take a wicket! In fact, he goes for six as Riki Wessels deposits him back over his head with a drop-kick. That’s great play from Wessels, spotting that Mo, being left-handed, might not unfurl the sixes against a top-class off-spinner on a pitch made of stale Digestives.
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6th over: Worcs 47-1 (Moeen 29, Wessels 9) Time for Ravi Bopara, bowling slow-medium or even slower than that, and Moeen’s eyes light up. He waits for one and swings it over midwicket for six, so the PowerPlay ends well for Worcs. Essex have just got to get Moeen out. In the first semi-final, he had the highest strike rate of any batsman, and the lowest economy rate of any bowler: the Platonic ideal of leading from the front. Harmer needs to weigh up his options and send for himself.
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5th over: Worcs 38-1 (Moeen 21, Wessels 8) Not content with taking Lawrence off, Simon Harmer brings him straight back on. And it works, as the ball sticks in the pitch and the batsmen keep finding the fielders. “Terrific over!” says D Lloyd. Run rate now down below eight.
4th over: Worcs 36-1 (Moeen 20, Wessels 7) Cook manages three dots to Moeen, which is some achievement – though the next ball goes for six, as Mo plays one of those lovely lazy languid flicks of his. It’s the only scoring shot of the over, and the run rate so far plummets to nine.
3rd over: Worcs 30-1 (Moeen 14, Wessels 7) Lawrence is rewarded for his early breakthrough by being taken off. On comes Aaron Beard, who bowls three wides, but also finds a full length that allows only a few singles off the bat.
An email! From Brendan Large. “Nasser and Keys were mentioning the possibility of the pitch getting a bit quicker under the lights, due to dew or some such.” They were. “This may be the reason for Essex opting to take the ball first.” It may. “If it is, feel free to delete the mention of Nasser and Keys, and give me all possible undue credit for my knowledge of cricket pitches.” Ha.
2nd over: Worcs 23-1 (Moeen 12, Wessels 5) The first over of seam comes from Sam Cook, the only man playing here who hasn’t already got through one game today. He may be a little rusty: he gives both batsmen something to cut, and Moeen something to pull too. Advantage Worcs.
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1st over: Worcs 10-1 (Moeen 4, Wessels 0) Moeen’s in the mood. He gets off the mark with a typical waft – airy, elegant, risky, and four.
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Wicket! Rutherford b Lawrence 4 (Worcs 5-1)
A wide, a four (off the edge), and a wicket, as Dan Lawrence turns one sharply past Hamish Rutherford’s attempted on-drive. It seemed a wacky move by Harmer to open the bowling with Lawrence. It doesn’t now.
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The final starts with....
.. a wide.
This is the latest date in the year that Finals Day has ever been, so there’s a lot of chat about the dew. David Lloyd, Sky’s in-house gardener, sees no sign of it yet, but Simon Harmer’s decision to bowl must have something to do with it. It’s dew or die.
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Who’s your money on? Essex started the T20 season abominably, and so did Worcestershire, so it’s like the 1992 World Cup final all over again, except that both sides are Pakistan. There are tigers in every corner.
At Edgbaston, Sweet Caroline is ringing out. The singing is almost certainly being led by Graham Hardcastle.
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The toss was hosted by Nasser Hussain. Nothing wrong with that, he’s an excellent broadcaster, but he was wearing a puffy gilet, and he is a bit thin on top. Has anyone ever seen him in the same room as Dominic Cummings?
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Second team sheet: Essex ring one change!
Essex Eagles: Westley, Delport, Lawrence, ten Doeschate, Bopara, Wheater (wkt), Walter, Harmer (capt), Nijjar, Beard, Cook. That’s tough on Jamie Porter, who makes way for Sam Cook at the bottom of the order.
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First team sheet: Worcs as you were
Worcestershire Rapids: Rutherford, Wessels, Moeen (capt), Cox (wkt), D’Oliveira, Whiteley, Parnell, Barnard, Mitchell, Brown, Morris.
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Essex win the toss...
...and opt to bowl, even though both semis were won by the team batting first. Does Simon Harmer know something we don’t, apart from how to bowl beautiful off-breaks?
Hello again, good evening and welcome to the Vitality Blast final. You know that feeling when your team win a semi-final, and you can sit back, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got all the fun of a final to look forward to? Many fans have three weeks to bask in that. Essex fans have had about an hour. This Finals Day is crazy – but still fun.
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All over! Essex finally reach the final
Ravi Rampaul holes out and poor old Derbyshire, who decided to do or die, have done and died. This was their first taste of Finals Day. It’s Essex’s fifth, and the first time they’ve made it through to the evening. They win by 34 runs – a triumph for their T20 captain, Simon Harmer, who finishes with career-best figures of 4-19. He was in a league of his own, although, like all good sorcerers, he brought along his apprentice, Aron Nijjar (3-26). And all this was possible because Cameron Delport and Tom Westley added 78 for Essex’s first wicket. See you in a bit for the Vitality Blast final, starting at 6.45pm BST: it’ll be Essex v Worcestershire, or, to put it another way, Harmer v Moeen.
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Wicket! Smit c Delport b Harmer 19 (Derbyshire 118-9)
Harmer does it again! First ball back, he persuades Smit to reverse-sweep straight to the man at backward point. End of a brave partnership, 27 off 22 balls.
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Ten off that over, not enough to worry Essex, but not bad. Derbs need 43 off three, and the bad news for them is that Harmer is bringing himself back on.
Hang on. Derbs are not going down without a smite. First Daryn Smit laps Lawrence for four, then Logan van Beek wallops him for six, down the ground, 94m apparently. On 109-8 now, they need 53 from the last four overs, which should be impossible, especially on a piece of old toast, but you never know.
There’s been some chuntering about the pitch, which is now a spinna’s paradise. When they show it in close-up, it looks like the slice of wholemeal toast that you left in the toaster before you went on holiday.
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(Football spoiler alert) Derbyshire have now lost as many wickets as Watford conceded goals today.
Wicket! Hudson-Prentice b Lawrence 1 (Derbyshire 91-8)
Oh dear.
Wicket – Hughes st Wheater b Nijjar 23 (Derbyshire 86-7)
Yet another one. They’re not even worth an exclamation mark any more. Hughes hung in there, which is more than can be said for his mates, but eventually he is lured down the track by Nijjar, who finishes with 3-26. That is a great comeback after his first four balls went for 14.
12th over: Derbyshire 85-6 (Hughes 23, Smit 3) Harmer is enjoying this slow torture so much, he takes himself off and tries a third spinner, Dan Lawrence, with his part-time leggies. His over goes for only three. It’s all becoming a bit one-sided.
The Essex spinners have taken five for 37 in six overs, all bowled.
Wicket! Critchley b Nijjar 5 (Derbyshire 81-6)
Another one! It’s do or Derbs as Critchley aims a big slog-sweep at Nijjar, who beats him in the flight. Essex, so often the bridesmaid on finals day, are getting married in the evening.
10th over: Derbyshire 78-5 (Hughes 20, Critchley 4) Harmer ruins his figures by drifting down leg and letting Hughes pick up four with the tickliest of tickles. And that’s the halfway stage, with half the wickets gone, and just under half the runs scored. Derbs need 83 off ten, which should be too much.
Wicket! Dal b Harmer 0 (Derbyshire 66-5)
He’s done it again! the very next ball, Anuj Dal opts to charge Harmer, plays outside the line of another off-break and departs with his tail between his pads. Harmer’s decided to do it all by himself. He doesn’t get the hat-trick, but he does finish the over with the ridiculous figures of 2-0-6-3.
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Wicket! du Plooy b Harmer 9 (Derbyshire 66-4)
That is a wonderball. Harmer drifts it into middle and leg and turns it so sharply that it hits the off bail again. du Plooy plods off and Harmer has 2-5 in eight balls of effortless mastery.
Look away now if you don’t want to know any football scores. Man City have scored seven against Watford and there’s still half an hour to go. They’ve invented Twenty20 football.
6th over: Derbyshire 59-3 (du Plooy 5, Hughes 9) So the Powerplay ends and all you can say is: this one may not go the distance. That last over was bowled by Ravi Bopara, who should be tricky on this sticky surface, and Derbyshire helped themselves to 11. They’re not going to die wondering.
Wicket! Madsen b Nijjar 17 (Derbyshire 48-3)
Harmer is so chuffed with his own over (1-0-4-1) that he goes for spin at the other end too, in the form of Aron Nijjar. Aron who? He’s a slow left-armer in a sharp pair of shades. Wayne Madsen sees a chance to dominate – four, six, four, much like Reece at the start of the innings. But just like Reece, he soon perishes, as Nijjar keeps calm and bowls him round his legs. Derbs are ahead of the run rate, but are they paying too high a price?
Wicket!! Godleman b Harmer 9 (Derbyshire 30-2)
Captain to captain and... Harmer strikes first ball! It beats Godleman for lack of pace, turns a bit and clips the off bail.
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3rd over: Derbyshire 30-1 (Godleman 9, Madsen 2) Billy Godleman was a bit of a sleeping partner in that opening stand, contributing not a single run. He makes up for it now with a textbook cover push off Porter, beautifully timed, and a clip for four more. Porter has 2-0-24-0 – he may be too quick for this surface. Heeere’s Harmer.
Wicket! Reece c Wheater b Beard 19 (Derbyshire 19-1)
He was a good pinch-hitter as pinch-hitters go, and as pinch-hitters go, he’s GONE. Reece nicks again and this time Wheater dives to his left to make a grab that would have gone straight to the still-absent first slip. Reece did well, 19 off only seven balls, to add to a tidy two-for.
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Pinch-hitting is back! Derbyshire have started with four, four, six, all scored by Luis Reece off Jamie Porter. The first four was a nick through the sadly vacant slips, but the next one was an authentic whack to leg and so was the six. Given all that, Porter recovers well: Derbyshire 15-0 off one.
Afternoon everyone and thanks Graham. Remember that moment when Michael Gove said the British people were fed up with experts? Govey, lad, I hope you’re reading now, because a true expert on the county game has just handed over to someone who tries to wear his expertise lightly, for the simple reason that he doesn’t have any. so, bear with me, please, as you follow Derbyshire’s pursuit of Essex’s 160. Derbyshire have the momentum, after dragging it back from 78-0 after eight overs. But Essex have more on the board than either team managed in the first semi, and they hold the trump card (can we still use that term?) in their captain and star spinner Simon Harmer. It could, in short, go either way.
Essex set Derbyshire 161 for victory
Essex have finished with 160-5. I think both sides will be reasonably content. Could have been better, could have been worse will be their view I would suggest.
Anyway, I shall hand over the baton to Tim de Lisle, who will guide you through the rest of the day. Enjoy.
Oh and given I won’t get chance later on... SWEET CAROLINE, bah, bah, bah!!
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Little and Large are at the crease for Essex going into the last two overs (145-5). Adam Wheater and Paul Walter, the latter at 6ft seven and the other five foot nothing, will be hoping for around 20 off the last two overs.
Essex are 123-4 after 15 overs and on course to post a challenging total on a used pitch. I reckon they would have snapped your hand off for 160 before a ball was bowled, and they should get there. Ravi Bopara is into the twenties and has Adam Wheater for company.
Derbyshire have struck twice since my last post through industrious medium pacer Alex Hughes, removing Delport for 55 and Dan Lawrence for five. Essex are 93-2 in the 11th. I just nipped out to get a bottle of water a few moments ago and the media centre is full of folk shaking their heads. What happened in the first semi has not sunk in yet.
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The Hollies are in full swing now and have just had a beach ball confiscated by the stewards. “We want our ball back, we want our ball back, WE WANT OUR BALL BACK.” Essex are 65-0 after seven overs.
Essex are going well and have the early advantage. They have reached 50-0 in the early stages of the sixth over. Delport has 36 of them.
Nottinghamshire coach Peter Moores is understandably crestfallen after his side somehow contrived to lose a match they looked to be in total control of.
He said: “I can’t remember a game like that - it’s quite difficult to explain. It’s as gutting a loss as I can remember.
“With a couple of overs to go it felt like we couldn’t lose, but Worcestershire, to their credit, bowled brilliantly.
“In those situations you trust the players in the middle. We knew one more boundary in those last couple of overs would have been enough. Ben Duckett, who played brilliantly, is distraught that he couldn’t get us over the line.”
Compared to what we saw earlier, this has been a fairly quiet start. Essex, through Tom Westley and Cameron Delport, have moved to 21-0 in the third over.
Team news: Derbyshire v Essex
Derbyshire: Godleman (c), Reece, Madsen, du Plooy, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Dal, Smit (wk), Critchley, van Beek, Rampaul.
Essex: Westley, Delport, Wheater (wk), Lawrence, ten Doeschate, Bopara, Walter, Harmer (c), Nijjar, Beard, Porter.
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Derbyshire’s Freddie the Falcon has won the Mascot Race. “It’s a sign,” exclaims Mark Eklid, of the Derby Telegraph. The Notts mascot also tripped.
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Essex will bat first v Derbyshire
Essex have won the toss and they’ll have first knock against Derbyshire.
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Notts 146/5. Worcester win by 1 run!
Extraordinary! Not sure how, but Worcester have won by one run. Duckett misses the last ball off Parnell.
Now, things will continue to happen at pace. Mascot race, toss for the next game - Essex v Derbyshire, which starts at 2.30pm - and the press conference for this game just done. I will try to keep you up to date with all of them.
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Incredible. Seven off the last over becomes two off the last ball. Duckett on strike against Parnell.
Ooohh. Two wickets for Pat Brown in the 19th, Christian and Tom Moores both caught. Notts need nine off nine (139-4). Duckett is 47 and club captain Mullaney has just strode to the crease.
Now Mullaney is run out coming back for two following an almighty mix-up. Eight off eight. 140-5. It’s all happening.
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I have just been asked for flavour, pardon the pun, of the catering options on offer here. Breakfast was bacon or veggie sausage butties, while lunch was chicken or veggie curry or roast dinner. Then you get varying selections of sweets and cheese and biscuits if you want. Evening meal and supper yet to come if previous years are anything to go by. Pace yourself!! And that is exactly what Notts have done. They are cruising again at 133-2 in the 18th - 15 to win off as many balls.
This game is still alive. Notts need 41 off five overs, at 107-2. Notts remain heavy favourites, but I have seen plenty of games like this swing the way of the bowling side. Duckett (28) and Dan Christian (5) are unbeaten.
Gone....Hales is caught behind for 52 off Moeen. Notts are 100-2 in the 14th over.
Hales reaches his fifth fifty of this season’s Blast off 39 balls. Losing his central contract yesterday, it just had to be, didn’t it! Notts are cruising at 97-1.
Notts are 83-1 at halfway, with Hales 40 and Duckett 19. The latter has just reverse slog-swept Brett D’Oliveira for a four which was inches from being six.
The atmosphere is quite subdued around the ground at the moment. This is a day where you definitely need to pace yourself, and this has the feel of the calm before the storm.
The power plays may have been similar, but this game has a Notts win written all over it as long as Hales remains at the crease. He has hardly broken sweat and is 30 not out from 60-1 after eight overs. Ben Duckett is with him. The Outlaws need 88 more for victory.
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Problems for Worcester! Nash and Hales have taken the score to 44-0 after five overs. Hales has done the lion’s share of the scoring since my last post, moving swiftly to 20.
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Notts are off to a bright start at 25-0 after two overs, with Chris Nash 20 not out. He has hit three fours and a pulled six in 11 balls. Alex Hales is one not out off one ball at the other end.
Sport is amazing isn’t it. Nash hadn’t played all tournament before the semi-final win over Middlesex, and now he is flying.
Worcester make 147-9 off their 20 overs
Worcester set Notts 148, Ross Whiteley contributing 36 and Riki Wessels 34 in their 147-9. It should not be enough, but the pressure of a run chase in a semi-final and all that....
The pitch has looked a bit tricky to time the ball on. Only Moeen and Whiteley at either end of the innings really got going. For Notts, Matt Carter led the way with three wickets, while Harry Gurney and Steven Mullaney chipped in with two apiece. I actually think Samit Patel deserves a lot of credit. Wicketless, yes, but his 0-17 from three overs was key in putting the skids under the Rapids midway through the innings.
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One over to go for the Rapids. Whiteley is still there, but Notts have bowled well at him during the last over or two. 137-7.
Here comes the Worcester charge through Ross Whiteley, who has hit three sixes and a four in the last five minutes, peppering long-on and long-off. He has 30 off 16 balls, and it’s 125-7 from 17 overs.
Apparently there is someone dressed as WWE wrestler, The Undertaker, in the Hollies stand. Worcester aren’t quite dead and buried yet, but at 97-7 in the 15th, with Ed Barnard run out just now, they definitely have Paul Bearer tottering behind them.
Huge wicket. Riki Wessels is bowled by a Steven Mullaney slower ball via pad as he looks to slog sweep, falling for 34. It’s 89-5 in the 13th over. My 170 is looking a way off now.
There is a lot of preparation which needs doing for Finals Day. I have done a few of these down the years and find that given the extraordinary catering which is provided for the media, it means you have to be careful with you what eat for around a fortnight beforehand. To give you an idea, it’s like an episode of Man vs Food or Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which follows it on the FoodNetwork channel (if you’re ever struggling for something to watch).
Anyway, Worcester are 69-2 after nine overs. Riki Wessels has 27 and Wayne Parnell nine. A minimum 170 total is needed I would suggest. Hang on, as I type, Parnell loops Steven Mullaney up to cover. It’s 76-3 in the 10th.
Moeen has fallen for a breezy 21, including three sixes. Carter, the tall Notts’ off-spinner, uproots his off stump on the slog sweep. A huge wicket for the Outlaws, who have their second. It’s 40-2 in the fifth over. The prized wicket may have been taken, but Notts must continue to strike given the strength and depth of the Rapids’ batting order.
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Wow! Two sixes from Moeen Ali off his second and third balls, both over long-on against Matt Carter and the first significantly bigger than the second. Worcester 32-1 after three overs.
Alex Hales into the action in the second over with an excellent catch over his head, running back from cover to help Matt Carter get rid of New Zealander Hamish Rutherford. Worcestershire 10-1.
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The ground is just under half full at the moment, but the fancy dress in the Hollies stand is in full swing nevertheless. I spy a large group of Chelsea Pensioners and a fair few bananas.
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Team news: Worcs v Notts
Nottinghamshire captain Dan Christian wins the toss and will bowl first.
Worcestershire: Wessels, Rutherford, Moeen (c), Cox (wk), D’Oliveira, Whiteley, Parnell, Mitchell, Barnard, Morris, Brown.
Nottinghamshire: Hales, Nash, Clarke, Duckett, Patel, Moores (wk), Christian (c), Mullaney, Wood, Carter, Gurney.
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Preamble
Good morning from Edgbaston, where it is a glorious start to cricket’s longest day. And, for the avoidance of doubt, I don’t say that with any negativity. Vitality Blast Finals Day is one of the very best days. Three games, a Mascot race and copious amounts of Sweet Caroline. What more could you want?
There are many who believe it is the best day of the year. Given my Northern roots, I will argue the toss against anyone and say that it doesn’t top the Blast Roses games. But it’s not far behind, I grant you.
We have four teams on show, three from the North and one from the South and two who would be first time winners of the competition - Essex and Derbyshire.
Those two counties meet in the second semi-final at 2.30pm following on from a clash between the two most recent champions Worcestershire (2018) v Nottinghamshire (2017). That one gets us going at 11am.
Worcester and Notts are the bookies favourites, but I have heard a few people over the last week say, ‘I have a sneaking suspicion for Derbyshire’. This is their first appearance at Finals Day since the Blast started in 2003.
I, personally, am leaning towards Essex. They crept into quarter-finals by winning three out of their last four group games, with the other a tie, and then beat runaway North Group winners Lancashire in their quarter-final at Durham when the game was going the way of the Lightning.
You hear players and coaches talking about how momentum is so crucial in this format of the game. Well, the Eagles have it. It would be one heck of a six days for Anthony McGrath’s side given they are top of the County Championship by 12 points from Somerset with a round to go. They travel to Taunton on Monday.
I will be splitting blogging duties with Tim de Lisle today, who takes over halfway through the second semi-final. The final begins at 6.45pm. Enjoy the day.
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