England batter Dan Lawrence cracked 62 off 49 balls at top of order for Essex before a late collapse almost saw Birmingham Bears through to Finals Day; Watch the Vitality Blast quarter-final between Somerset and Notts Outlaws, live on Sky Sports on Friday
Thursday 6 July 2023 22:32, UK
Essex overcame a dramatic late wobble to beat Birmingham Bears by two wickets in a thrilling Vitality Blast quarter-final clash at Edgbaston, booking their spot at Finals Day.
Chasing 168 to win, Dan Lawrence - who was in contention to play for England in this week's third Ashes Test at Headingley following injury to Ollie Pope - cracked 62 off 49 balls at the top of the order for Essex.
The visitors appeared to be cruising towards their target when 103-3 at the halfway point of their innings - Paul Walter (27) having smashed the previous two deliveries for six - but the Bears continued to chip away, picking up Walter in the 12th over and adding Matt Critchley (6) and Daniel Sams (5) cheaply.
Experienced Essex captain Simon Harper (19) had appeared to steady the ship, putting on a quick 25-run stand with Lawrence to reduce the equation to just seven required from the final two overs.
But then both departed in a sensational penultimate over bowled by Dominic Drakes (2-26) that cost only one run. Lawrence first holed out in the deep, while Harmer was run out off the last ball, having accidently run into Drakes as he tried to make his ground.
The decision was sent upstairs to the third umpire to ensure Harmer was not deliberately obstructed, evoking memories of Jonny Bairstow's controversial stumping in the second Ashes Test at Lord's, but the run out was upheld.
Essex continued to stumble their way towards the finish line in the final over until, with three required off the final two balls, Netherlands international Shane Snater celebrated his country's qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup earlier in the day by smashing Oliver Hannon-Dalby for six straight back down the ground to end the game.
Earlier, Sam Hain top-scored for Birmingham with 52 off 36 balls, while Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell contributed 32 off 23 balls before holing out to countryman Sams, who gave a pointed celebration to the Bears fans in the Hollies Stand.
Chris Benjamin (24) and Drakes (23no) contributed some valuable runs lower down the order, but Birmingham's score seemed below par - and so it proved, despite Essex's late wobble.
Lawrence, who announced in June he is to join Surrey at the end of the season, will be targeting silverware before his departure when returning for Finals Day back at Edgbaston in just nine days' time on Saturday, July 15.
Essex have won the Blast once before, in 2019. The three remaining quarter-finals to determine who will join them at Finals Days are to be played on Friday, with Somerset's clash with Notts Outlaws shown live on Sky Sports.
Watch the Vitality Blast quarter-final between Somerset and Notts Outlaws, live on Sky Sports following the second day's play of the third men's Ashes Test at Headingley. You can stream the men's and women's Ashes series on NOW.
