Vitality Blast Finals Day on Sky Sports activities: James Anderson and Ravi Bopara firing of their 40s, the mascot race and Hampshire looking historical past

It is the spotlight of the home cricket calendar – and that is simply the mascot race!

Round folks in fluffy animal costumes sprinting (to a level) throughout Edgbaston, there may be the Vitality Blast title to be received with Lancashire, Hampshire, Northamptonshire and Somerset the 4 sides left standing after the group stage and quarter-finals.

Saturday’s motion in Birmingham begins with the primary semi-final between Lancashire and Somerset (11am), adopted by the thrills and spills of the Mascot Derby.

Dwell Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

Saturday thirteenth September 10:30am

Dwell Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

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Hampshire and Northamptonshire then sq. off within the second semi-final (2.30pm) earlier than the ultimate takes place within the night (roughly 6.45pm).

You may watch your complete day reside on Sky Sports activities – build-up begins at 10.30am – and right here is why it’s a must-not-miss occasion…

The Mascot Derby

Carnage at all times ensues because the likes of Sussex’s Sid the Shark and Alfred the Gorilla, of Gloucestershire, battle for probably the most prestigious of titles, which was received final yr by Glamorgan’s Dewi the Dragon after Lancashire’s Lanky the Giraffe ran out of puff on the finish.

Lanky tiring within the residence straight denied him a back-to-back Mascot Derby crowns however contemplating his pedigree, and the size of his neck, he’s positive to be among the many favourites once more. Derbyshire’s Freddie the Falcon must also not be written off.

Whereas the helter-skelter Mascot Derby is terrific TV, spare a thought for whichever Sky Sports activities commentator is requested to maintain up with the creatures as they run for glory and make their manner by means of quite a few difficult obstacles within the title of leisure.

A primary four-time winner of the Blast?

Hampshire and Leicestershire are the one sides to have received the Blast thrice since its inception in 2003. The Hawks triumphed in 2010 and 2012 after which a decade later in 2022, whereas the Foxes have been victorious in 2004, 2006 and 2011.

Leicestershire’s hopes of one other title are over for this yr after they did not get out of the North Group (at the least they’ve a probable promotion to the highest flight of the County Championship to nurse that blow) however Hampshire may develop into Blast four-timers.

James Vince’s workforce have been hit or miss within the South Group this time period – seven wins and 6 defeats – however very a lot hit within the quarter-final win over Durham as they crunched a complete of 221-8, together with 89-0 within the powerplay, to achieve Finals Day for an eleventh time.

Of their 40s and nonetheless going robust

Throughout some thrilling quarter-finals final week, the headline act was Ravi Bopara’s 105 not out from 46 balls for Northamptonshire towards a power-packed Surrey in a rain-reduced sport at The Kia Oval – the 40-year-old smoking 12 fours and 5 sixes.

So what did the previous England star put his match-winning knock all the way down to? Being pumped up? No, the precise reverse. “I didn’t have that fire in my belly and that’s when I prefer it, when I feel a bit dead. That’s when I feel like I’m going to perform my best.”

Bopara, who performed within the inaugural T20 Cup in 2023, is a mere whippersnapper in comparison with 43-year-old James Anderson, who has royally loved his first slice of T20 cricket in a decade after taking 18 wickets throughout Lancashire’s run to Finals Day.

Livingstone to show some extent to England?

Liam Livingstone mentioned in an interview earlier this summer time, after being dropped by England, that he “did not know where he stood” by way of getting his worldwide place again. “You’ve got my number, mate,” was England MD Rob Key’s response.

Whether or not or not Livingstone has made that decision, he let his bat do the speaking, to make use of a cliché, throughout Lancashire’s quarter-final victory over Kent, smashing seven sixes in an unbeaten 85 from 45 balls after popping out to bat along with his aspect 5-2 chasing 154.

A participant who hits the ball as arduous and so far as Livingstone is definitely nonetheless a horny choice for England. His 42-ball ton towards Pakistan in 2021 stays his nation’s quickest in T20 internationals and his six out of Headingley in the identical sequence was jaw-dropping.

A great Finals Day in a pressure-cooker setting for Livingstone, who additionally has the flexibility to bowl off-spin and leg-spin, may velocity up an England recall, with Sky Sports activities’ Nasser Hussain saying he would nonetheless have the 32-year-old because the workforce’s finisher.

Fourth closing in 5 years for Somerset?

The Blast’s kind county in current occasions has been Somerset, with the Taunton workforce reaching the final 5 Finals Days together with this coming one, successful in 2023 after overcoming Essex and ending as runners-up in 2021 and 2024.

Lewis Gregory’s aspect topped the South Group with 11 wins from 14 after which edged previous Bears with one ball to spare in a nerve-jangling residence quarter-final because the Glamorgan-bound Sean Dickson capped a 26-ball 71 not out with the successful run.

Somerset – who, like Hampshire, are right into a record-equalling eleventh Finals Day – required 19 from the ultimate over towards Bears and Dickson went six, six, 4 off Ed Barnard after a large and single, earlier than clipping away the decisive run to finish fairly the heist.

Watch Vitality Blast Finals Day reside on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 10.30am on Saturday or stream with out a contract by means of NOW.