Northamptonshire beat Hampshire by 14 runs – T20 Blast Match Report

18th July 2026

Northamptonshire won by 14 runs in the 115th and final match of the T20 Blast 2026 group stage at Edgbaston. Ricardo Vasconcelos delivered a masterclass with 88 off 59 balls (11 fours, 2 sixes) to propel the hosts to 169, before Sonny Baker‘s five-wicket haul proved decisive in restricting Hampshire to 155. The result crowns Northamptonshire champions of the group stage with 9 wins from 12 matches (36 points), while Hampshire finish runners-up on 8 wins (32 points).

Northamptonshire Innings – Vasconcelos Dominates

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bowl, but Northamptonshire’s batting lineup made them pay immediately. Chris Lynn fell for just 4 at 9/1 in the opening over, but Vasconcelos took charge from the outset. The Northamptonshire batter struck at 149, accumulating 11 fours and 2 sixes across his 59-ball innings. He was the centrepiece of a 59-run stand with Nathan McSweeney (30 off 16, strike rate 188), who fell LBW at 69/3 in the 7th over.

Lewis McManus contributed 22 off 17 (2 sixes) in a 69-run partnership with Vasconcelos, but the Hampshire bowlers kept chipping away. David Willey struck 11 off 8 (1 six) at 158/5 before falling at 158/5 in the 17th over. Vasconcelos was finally dismissed, clean bowled, at 148/6 in the 16th over – a moment that broke Northamptonshire’s momentum but left them well-placed.

The lower order collapsed spectacularly. Louis Kimber was bowled for a duck, Saif Zaib fell for 0, and Calvin Harrison was LBW for 1. James Sales was clean bowled for 0 at 160/10, but Ben Sanderson smashed 8 off 5 (1 six) in the final over to push Northamptonshire to 169.

Sonny Baker was the standout bowler for Hampshire, claiming 5/21 from 4 overs at an economy of 5.25 – a miserly display that kept the hosts in check. James Fuller took 3/36 from 4 overs, while Scott Currie claimed 2/38 from 3.5 overs. Chris Wood was expensive, conceding 43 from 4 overs without a wicket.

Hampshire Chase Falls Short

Hampshire’s chase began in chaos. Toby Albert fell for a duck at 0/1 in the opening ball, setting the tone for a stuttering innings. James Vince managed 17 off 16 (1 four, 1 six) before falling at 40/2 in the 5th over.

Joe Weatherley carried the fight with 75 off 53 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 142, building crucial partnerships to keep Hampshire in the hunt. Ben Mayes (9 off 11) fell at 68/4, and Tristan Stubbs was clean bowled for 2 at 77/5. Hilton Cartwright struck 11 off 5 (1 four, 1 six) before being clean bowled at 90/6.

Liam Dawson provided late-order fireworks with 35 off 18 (4 fours, 1 six) at a strike rate of 194, but he was run out at 138/7 in the 16th over. Fuller fell for 3 at 153/8, and Currie was clean bowled for 2 at 155/9. Baker was clean bowled for 0 in the final ball, leaving Hampshire 14 runs short.

James Sales was the pick of Northamptonshire’s bowlers with 3/25 from 4 overs, while Ben Sanderson took 2/26 from 3.2 overs. Luke Procter claimed 2/25 from 3 overs, and David Willey took 1/36 from 4 overs.

Statz MVP: Sonny Baker (Statz Rating: 155.4)

Sonny Baker earns the Statz MVP award with a mi_rating of 155.4 – the highest individual performance of the evening. His 5/21 from 4 overs was a masterclass in death bowling, restricting Northamptonshire’s lower order and keeping Hampshire within striking distance. Despite Hampshire falling short, Baker’s impact with the ball was decisive and match-defining. No official Man of the Match was awarded.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

Group Stage Conclusion

This was the 115th and final match of the T20 Blast 2026 group stage. Northamptonshire finish as group champions with 9 wins from 12 matches (36 points) and a net run rate of 0.936. Hampshire secure the runners-up spot with 8 wins from 12 (32 points) and a net run rate of 0.283. Both teams have qualified for the playoffs. Check the full scorecard on Statz for the complete breakdown, and explore bet builder options for this fixture.