Hampshire ready for 'massive' Finals Day as they target third T20 title
Vince or Dawson - who won the Hampshire big-hitting contest?
Friday 1 September 2017 13:27, UK
Shahid Afridi's promotion to opener paid dividends for Hampshire in their NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final against Derbyshire, with the Pakistan legend tonking his maiden T20 ton as James Vince's side book a spot at Finals Day for the seventh time in eight seasons.
So, did captain or Boom Boom have the final say on that decision?
"It was a bit of both," Vince told Sky Sports' Rob Key ahead of Finals Day at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.30am on Saturday, at which Hampshire will play Nottinghamshire in the second semi-final after Birmingham Bears play Glamorgan in the first.
"We'd mentioned it briefly before practice up at Derby and when he said he wanted to do it, it sort of made our mind up.
"Big name players produce in big games, so hopefully it will be the same on Saturday. If someone like Shahid comes off, they can win the game for you on their own."
Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson added: "People say it's just another day but it's not - it's Finals Day, it's massive. We've just got to replicate what we did in the quarter-final and back ourselves every ball."
Live NatWest T20 Blast Cricket
Dawson has impressed for the 2010 and 2012 T20 champions with the ball this campaign, scooping 12 wickets, including three in the 101-run win over Derbyshire in the last eight.
"In Twenty20 cricket you are expected to go for runs, so you are on a hiding to nothing," said Dawson. "You have to have a thick enough skin to deal with that, come back the next game, bowl the same balls and get 4-20.
"You do get a couple of balls in an over when you can take wickets but mainly you look to contain and try to get hit for one."
But how would Dawson fare with the bat in a big-hitting contest against his skipper Vince, who has struck four Blast fifties this campaign? Find out in the video at the top of the page.
Watch Birmingham v Glamorgan (10.30am) and Nottinghamshire v Hampshire (2pm) as well as the final (6.15pm), live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday.
