Essex through after wash out against Glamorgan at Chelmsford
Friday 29 July 2016 23:29, UK
Yorkshire Vikings, Durham Jets and Essex Eagles secured the final three NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final spots as the group stage concluded on Friday night.
Yorkshire will visit Glamorgan in the next round, with Durham traveling to Gloucestershire and Essex trekking to Nottinghamshire Outlaws.
Northamptonshire Steelbacks' home tie against Middlesex completes the last-eight fixtures, with the matches to be shown live on Sky Sports during the week of August 8.
Yorkshire progressed from their group for only the second time in nine seasons after half-centuries from Jack Leaning (64 from 29 balls) and Alex Lees (59 from 50) and impressive bowling from Tim Bresnan (3-15) propelled the side to a 14-run victory at Northants.
Durham also advanced from the North Group following a 13-run triumph over Derbyshire, Calum MacLeod (83 from 50) and Mark Stoneman (82 from 56) putting on a Durham record 141 for the second wicket as the Jets pipped the Falcons to fourth spot in the table.
Essex, meanwhile, landed the last qualification place from the South Group courtesy of the point they picked up from their washed out game at home to Glamorgan - the rain preventing the Eagles from replying to Glamorgan's 184-5, in which Colin Ingram cracked 101 from 56 balls.
Surrey's Jason Roy plundered the highest score of the night, though - the England limited-overs opener biffing an unbeaten 120 from 62 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes, as the London side beat Kent by 37 runs at The Oval.
Roy and Aaron Finch (79 from 51) thrashed 187 for the opening wicket in 17.2 overs as Surrey racked up 212-4 before restricting Kent to 175-7 in reply - but the rain in Chelmsford meant Gareth Batty's men missed out on the quarter-finals.
Birmingham Bears' hopes of progression were also dashed as they slipped up against reigning champions Lancashire Lightning, despite only being set 125 for victory at Emirates Old Trafford.
Lancashire could only post 124-5 from their 20 overs, thanks mainly to an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 65 between Tom Moores (39no from 32) and Jordan Clark (31no from 18).
But Birmingham ended on 94-8 - teenage pacer Saqib Mahmood the pick of the Lancashire attack with figures of 3-18 - to fall out of the top four positions in the North Group.
North Group table toppers Nottinghamshire wrapped up their league campaign with a stunning eight-wicket win over rock-bottom Leicestershire Foxes on Duckworth-Lewis.
Michael Lumb (69no from 26) clubbed nine fours and five sixes for Notts, while Dan Christian (54 from 16) hammered six maximums - including four in a row off Rob Sayer - at a soggy Trent Bridge.
Gloucestershire secured top spot in the South Group with a four-wicket win over Middlesex, Benny Howell (3-18) shining with the ball before Jack Taylor (44no off 23) sealed victory with a six.
Somerset, however, were consigned to bottom place in the South Group following an 83-run hammering by Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl in which they were bundled out for 98 in 15.2 overs.
Liam Dawson (5-17) mopped up Somerset's middle and lower order with his left-arm spin after Tom Alsop had cracked a T20 best 85 from 57 balls in Hampshire's 181-3.
