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Vitality T20 Blast 2023: Essex vs Hampshire, Semi-Final 1 – Who is the Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Essex reached the Vitality T20 Blast 2023 final with a thrilling five-wicket (D/L) semi-final win over Hampshire on July 15.

By Shurti Banerjee | Jul 15, 2023 | 3 Min Read

Essex reached the Vitality T20 Blast 2023 final with a thrilling five-wicket (D/L) semi-final win over Hampshire on July 15. Eight days after their last game in Birmingham in the quarter-finals, Simon Harmer’s side chased down a D/L target of 115 from 12 overs with three balls in hand as well. Put into bat first, Hampshire scored 170 for seven from their full 20 overs courtesy of Joe Weatherley’s unbeaten 63 (39 balls) against Matt Critchley (4-0-22-2) and Shane Snater (3-0-15-1). Then rain played the spoilsport when Essex’s score was at 19 for one from 2.5 overs and, they lost three wickets in six balls soon after the match resumption as well.

They bounced back well and required 13 from the last six balls, where Matt Critchley and Harmer each smashed Nathan Ellis for six. Hampshire were happy with Ben McDermott’s return, who was injured for the quarter-final, but got fit and scored 29 from 12 balls, including five fours and a six. That lifted his side to 39 from just 17 balls but Essex bounced back again with two huge wickets in five balls. Essex’s spinners did well as Critchley trapped Tom Prest before the stumps as well. However, Weatherley reached his sixth T20 half-century, from 34 balls. and Benny Howell (22, ten balls) thrashed 40 from the last 19 balls as well.

Meanwhile, after the rain break, Hampshire took the charge when Fuller struck twice in his first five balls as Michael Pepper hit to third man and Dan Lawrence hit an attempted pull. When John Turner removed Walter, Essex were reduced to 50 for four. Daniel Sams (29 off 17 balls) brought Essex back into the race with a couple of sixes and, with 28 needed from three overs, Sams hit another six, off countryman Ellis, but he dismissed him later. The equation came down to 13 off the last over and Critchley hit Ellis straight for six before Harmer did the same to send Essex into the final as well.

Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Daniel Sams

Daniel Sams played a key role for the side. after picking up 1 wicket, he stepped up with the bat. He smashed 29 off 17 with 2 fours and 3 sixes. His knock helped his side reach the final of the Vitality T20 Blast as well. And he is expected do the same for the final as well.

Essex captain Simon Harmer said after the game as quoted by Cricket World: “Matt Critchley batted superbly and the six off the first ball of the last over really took the pressure off. When I went down to face I just took a risk and banked on him bowling a slower ball and luckily he did and I connected. We had our slowest start of the comp with the bat but felt we were in the mix after the rain break, chasing a smallish total. Then we lost some wickets which set us back but Critch and Daniel Sams batted brilliantly, striking it from ball one. Dan’s innings was huge for us.”

“It’s great to be in the final but there are still areas we need to improve. We dropped a couple of catches late on and they can cost you, and our bowlers didn’t quite hit their lengths early on but I thought we were very good through the middle of the innings. We have batters playing well and then you look at Adam Rossington and what he is capable of and he has had a quiet tournament so far and is due a score,” he again added.

Squads:

Essex Squad: Adam Rossington(w), Daniel Lawrence, Michael-Kyle Pepper, Paul Walter, Matthew Critchley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer(c), Shane Snater, Aaron Beard, Sam Cook, Ben Allison, William Buttleman, Robin Das, Aron Nijjar, Josh Rymell, Tom Westley

Hampshire Squad: James Vince(c), Ben McDermott(w), Tom Prest, Joe Weatherley, Liam Dawson, Ross Whiteley, James Fuller, Benny Howell, Chris Wood, Nathan Ellis, John Turner, Toby Albert, Ben Brown, Mason Crane, Scott Currie