Vitality Blast Finals Day: Derbyshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire battle for title

Huge sixes, pinpoint yorkers and blinding catches – it’s almost time for 120 overs of drama to decide who will be crowned Vitality Blast champions.

Defending champions Worcestershire Rapids face Nottinghamshire Outlaws, with Finals Day newcomers Derbyshire Falcons taking on Essex Eagles before the two winners do battle to decide the title – all live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Saturday.

We run the rule over the four contenders ahead of Saturday’s Edgbaston extravaganza…

DERBYSHIRE FALCONS

How they qualified: Third in North Group, won quarter-final vs Gloucestershire by seven wickets

Best performance at Finals Day: Never previously qualified

One to watch: Matt Critchley

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Dominic Cork, who took over as T20 coach this season, has immediately shed their unwanted tag as the only county never to reach Finals Day.

The unfancied Falcons flew in under the radar, winning their last three group fixtures to finish in third place and then outplaying Gloucestershire in their quarter-final at Bristol.

Experienced seamer Ravi Rampaul is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 22, but pace off the ball is key to Derbyshire’s success, with medium-pacer Fynn Hudson-Prentice and the leg breaks of Matt Critchley proving particularly effective in the middle overs.

Wayne Madsen and skipper Billy Godleman have scored consistently at the top of the order, while left-hander Leus du Plooy will also pose a threat for the underdogs.

ESSEX EAGLES

How they qualified: Fourth in South Group, won quarter-final vs Lancashire by six wickets

Best performance at Finals Day: Semi-finals 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013

One to watch: Cameron Delport

Essex arrive at Finals Day as unexpected gatecrashers – they won four of their last five group matches but still needed other results to go in their favour before clinching a quarter-final spot on run rate.

Veteran all-rounders Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara then brought all their experience to the table with an unbroken stand of 60 in five overs to stun favourites Lancashire in the last eight.

Bopara, with 10 wickets at an average of 21.2, has also been the Eagles’ most economical bowler in the tournament, while spinners Simon Harmer and Adam Zampa have also played key roles.

On the batting front, Essex’s wild card is South African opener Cameron Delport, who smashed a 38-ball century against Surrey during the group stage and possesses the firepower to put a game beyond the opposition’s reach.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE OUTLAWS

How they qualified: Second in North Group, won quarter-final vs Middlesex by 10 wickets

Best performance at Finals Day: Winners 2017

One to watch: Alex Hales

Despite a dreadful season in red-ball cricket, the Outlaws have maintained their reputation as one of the country’s top limited-overs sides by reaching Finals Day for the third time in four years.

Dan Christian, who captained Nottinghamshire to the trophy in 2017, remains a key figure with both bat and ball, while left-arm seamer Harry Gurney, who took 4-17 in the final two years ago, has 20 wickets to his name.

Another survivor from the 2017 side is opener Alex Hales who, despite being dropped from England’s World Cup squad earlier this year, is still a formidable presence in the Outlaws’ batting line-up.

Hales has hit four half-centuries in the tournament, including an unbeaten 83 from just 47 balls as the Trent Bridge side crushed Middlesex by 10 wickets in their quarter-final.

WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS

How they qualified: Fourth in the North Group, won quarter-final vs Sussex by eight wickets

Best performance at Finals Day: Winners 2018

One to watch: Pat Brown

No county has yet won back-to-back T20 titles – but the Rapids are looking well-placed to buck the trend after thrashing Sussex Sharks in a repeat of last year’s final.

Moeen Ali was the undisputed stand-out performer in their last-eight victory at Hove, peppering surrounding homes with an array of sixes as he hit a career-best 121 not out from 60 balls.

Riki Wessels, who lines up against his former team-mates in the semi-final, has hit 396 runs in the tournament so far, while the batting is further strengthened by the return of New Zealand’s Martin Guptill.

Seamer Pat Brown’s variation and economy rate were significant factors in Worcestershire’s 2018 triumph and he spearheads their attack again, backed up by the likes of Ed Barnard and Dillon Pennington.

Watch Vitality Blast Finals Day from 10.30am on Saturday on Sky Sports Cricket.

(c) Sky Sports 2019: Vitality Blast Finals Day: Derbyshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire battle for title