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NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day - August 23

Edgbaston

    Over 4 - Bears 33-1 (Chopra 17, Porterfield 10)
    Porterfield building up a head of steam once again, powering one over point and then using his hands to get the ball behind square for four more. These two have a good understanding when it comes to running so anything dropped short is a simple single, within reason.
    8/23/2014 6:01:21 PM
    Over 5 - Bears 50-1 (Chopra 25, Porterfield 17)
    Everyone else has had a go today so Flintoff slips in the full toss, which Chopra smashes behind square for six. It's a no-ball on height as well, but at least there's no free hit. Decent recovery from the former England talisman, though, until Porterfield goes big for six more through the off-side.
    8/23/2014 6:06:03 PM

    Flintoff is mobbed by Horton after dismissing Bell

    8/23/2014 6:06:37 PM
    Over 6 - Bears 63-1 (Chopra 30, Porterfield 24)
    Porterfield is in inspired form today. Anderson drops short third ball and is promptly despatched down to the third man rope - the ball expertly guided with an open face. Chopra eases himself back into the action with a sweetly-timed drive through the covers for four. That's the powerplay done. Anderson's figures look a little ugly - two overs for 26.
    8/23/2014 6:10:52 PM
    Over 18 - Bears 154-4 (Evans 38, Woakes 12)
    Evans is on the charge! Anderson is on the wrong end as Evans whacks a low full toss through the covers for four, then shows his brute strength by heaving the ball over long on. Clark, running back at backward point, can't quite get a hand to a sliced chance next ball. Anderson limits the damage of his final three deliveries but he's now bowled three overs for 41.
    8/23/2014 6:53:44 PM

    Evans - cutting loose and climbing into Anderson

    8/23/2014 6:54:12 PM

    Evans c Prince b Smith 53 [wicket]

    A cracking cameo comes to an end as Evans fails to fully get hold of a full delivery, Ashwell pouching in the deep with the help of a slide
    8/23/2014 6:58:30 PM
    Over 19 - Bears 170-5 (Woakes 13, Javid 1)
    That Evans innings has cranked this Edgbaston crowd into life - and it was needed because it is parky out there. For the record, Evans reached his fifty off 28 balls, pummelling Smith high and handsome over long on for a maximum. The fifty stand came up in equally brutal fashion, Evans smashing Smith over extra cover for six, holding his follow through for almost as long as it takes to throw the ball back.
    8/23/2014 7:00:13 PM
    [end-of-innings] Birmingham Bears finish on 181-5 as Woakes signs off with back-to-back boundaries. Brown puts in a decent sprawling effort on the boundary to try and prevent the former but grazes the rope with his studs. "Runs on the board always vital in a final," says Nass. So now we know - the Lightning will be champions if they can score 182. Stick with us for what should be a cracking chase. What price Flintoff hitting the winning runs?
    8/23/2014 7:04:26 PM
    The Bears have broken from their pre-fielding huddle and I wonder if they know that Lancashire would have to make more than any team has done chasing on Finals Day - in either semi-final or final matches.
    8/23/2014 7:14:54 PM
    Over 1 - Lancs 4-0 (Smith 2, Prince 2)
    Tidy start from Javid and Smith, no doubt,will be happy to after lasting just one ball in the semi-final. He picks up a couple of singles as does Prince. Woakes will take the second over...
    8/23/2014 7:17:45 PM
    Over 2 - Lancs 11-0 (Smith 2, Prince 9)
    Woakes drops short of a length and Prince pulls powerfully for the first four of the innings. A spot of cat-and-mouse going on out in the middle with Prince swishing at a couple only to be beaten by Woakes but also picking up two with an off-side flay that drops tantalisingly out of Bell's reach.
    8/23/2014 7:21:51 PM
    Over 3 - Lancs 24-0 (Smith 10, Prince 14)
    Prince is clearly confident in his distances - sneaking a drive just over Clarke at mid-on, then dropping one just short of Evans in the deep. Perhaps to ease his team-mates' nerves, he swats Javid down the ground for six. Thirteen off a profitable over.
    8/23/2014 7:25:08 PM
    Over 4 - Lancs 34-0 (Smith 18, Prince 16)
    Don't bother running for that. Tom Smith, his bended knee almost touching the pitch, smotes Clarke high over long on for a majestic maximum. That's one effective way to ease scoreboard pressure. Up until then Clarke appeared to have the rub on the batsmen, mixing up his pace well.
    8/23/2014 7:29:35 PM
    Over 5 - Lancs 40-0 (Smith 19, Prince 21)
    Rankin opens up with a genuinely quick bouncer to Smith - the first of the day, it's decided, after some collective scratching of heads in the comms box. Prince has his own plan to counter-attack the short ball and steps away to power Rankin through the off-side with a meaty swing of his bat. The towering seamer goes right through Smith with the final ball of the over for no reward.
    8/23/2014 7:33:07 PM
    8/23/2014 7:34:38 PM

    Smith c Evans b Woakes 19 [wicket]

    Woakes bags the breakthrough as Smith, aiming to leg, gets an outside edge and Evans pouches the easiest of catches
    8/23/2014 7:35:39 PM
    Over 6 - Lancs 45-1 (Prince 25, Khawaja 1)
    That's the powerplay done - and the Lightning can feel pretty happy with their work so far. Evans' catch at backward point looked easy enough but given the situation and the lights he probably deserves a little more credit. Khawaja enters the fray.
    8/23/2014 7:38:48 PM
    Over 7 - Lancs 50-1 (Prince 26, Khawaja 3)
    Rankin could be the trump card here - he's bowling a fuller length that is proving hard to get away. Predictably, he then rather tarnishes his card by slipping in a full bunger that is called a no-ball on height grounds. Time for Jeetan Patel to come into the attack with the required run-rate standing at 10.2.
    8/23/2014 7:42:46 PM
    Over 8 - Lancs 58-1 (Prince 28, Khawaja 10)
    Patel gets the full teapot out as Khawaja is beaten by the bounce but still gets enough bat on his attempted sweep to pick up a fortunate four. There's no appeal later in the over when Khawaja repeats the shot and appears to be struck pretty close in line with off-stump. Must have been a touch of bat in there. Eight off Patel's first over.
    8/23/2014 7:47:00 PM

    Khawaja c Evans b Rankin 16 [wicket]

    No mistake this time from Evans, who sets himself well in the deep at backward square and swallows Khawaja's misplaced pull
    8/23/2014 7:50:07 PM
    Over 9 - Lancs 63-2 (Khawaja 11, Brown 1)
    Rankin created some room for himself but in the end was rather reaching for the ball. His reaction on his dismissal - head bowed in dejection - illustrates just how much this means to him.
    8/23/2014 7:51:54 PM
    Over 10 - Lancs 77-2 (Khawaja 16, Brown 10)
    What a drop! Evans, if anything, has too much time at long on as Brown launches Patel into the stratosphere and makes a complete hash of a steepler. Brown continues to play expansively and swats the spinner into the stands for six.
    8/23/2014 7:54:30 PM
    8/23/2014 7:58:11 PM
    Over 11 - Lancs 82-3 (Brown 11, Buttler 4)
    Rankin finishes with very respectable figures of 2-21 from his four overs - the last of which costs just five runs as Buttler beds in.
    8/23/2014 7:59:39 PM
    BUTTLER RAMP MASTERCLASS
    8/23/2014 8:00:11 PM
    Over 12 - Lancs 99-3 (Brown 22, Buttler 10)
    Brown swings hard and collects four through midwicket to finish what could be a game-changing over having already despatched the spinner into the stands. Buttler gets in on the act - not with a ramp shot but by despatching a low full toss with awesome power. Fast hands, there.
    8/23/2014 8:03:17 PM
    [betting]SKY BET ODDS
    Can Buttler, Flintoff & co. lead Lancashire to T20 glory? The Lightning are evens to win with Birmingham slight favourites at 4/5. Click here to bet in-play.
    8/23/2014 8:05:09 PM

    Buttler c Ambrose b Hannon-Dalby 11 [wicket]

    Simplest of catches for Ambrose as Buttler snicks through attempting to drive through the off-side
    8/23/2014 8:06:08 PM
    Over 13 - Lancs 103-4 (Brown 23, Croft 1)
    Hannon-Dalby time rarely disappoints and he does his skipper proud, conceding just three off his first four balls before dismissing Buttler - a wicket that, in Vaughan's view, has tilted the balance of power very much in Birmingham's favour. No wonder they're belting out 'Hey Jude' in the stands.
    8/23/2014 8:07:53 PM
    Over 14 - Lancs 114-4 (Brown 33, Croft 2)
    Clarke's cooking up a number of varieties here, beating Brown with a top-spinner that bounces only to see his back-of-the-hand slower ball disappear for six - Brown belting it far afield.
    8/23/2014 8:11:19 PM

    Horton c Ambrose b Patel 1 [wicket]

    Rob Bailey's finger goes up but Horton - arms outstretched - stands his ground for an interminable time before walking off, demonstrably displeased
    8/23/2014 8:13:17 PM
    Over 15 - Lancs 120-5 (Brown 34, Horton 1)
    So here's how we stand. Lancashire need 62 to win off 30 balls. Another clever over from Hannon-Dalby, who isn't bowling any two deliveries the same pace. Croft got away with one that just looped over Woakes at backward point but there his luck run out, Hannon-Dalby beating him all ends up as he swatted at thin air.
    8/23/2014 8:15:32 PM
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