T20 Blast semi-final, Edgbaston

Northamptonshire Steelbacks 143 all out (19.2 overs): Lynn 39 (26); Ball 4-17, Meredith 3-21

Somerset 126-9 (20 overs): Smeed 49 (35); Willey 3-17, Sanderson 3-28

Northamptonshire Steelbacks won by 17 runs

Scorecard

Northamptonshire Steelbacks delivered a strong bowling performance to defeat defending champions Somerset by 17 runs and advance to the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston.

Somerset, winners of two of the last three Blast titles, held the advantage after the first innings after dismissing Northants for 143, driven largely by Jake Ball's figures of 4-17.

Yet the Steelbacks responded strongly as captain David Willey starred with 3-17 to secure the semi-final win and reach the final for the first time since 2016, when they claimed the title.

The loss for Somerset, appearing in a sixth straight Finals Day, extends the 23-year streak of teams failing to retain the trophy since the Blast started in 2003.

Somerset began well after winning the toss and electing to bowl, dismissing Northants for 26-3 inside five overs as Riley Meredith trapped Ricardo Vasconcelos lbw for 15 and Craig Overton removed Nathan McSweeney (1) and Willey (6) for low scores.

Chris Lynn, the second-highest run-scorer in this season's T20 Blast, found his rhythm for the Steelbacks, striking three fours and three sixes in a 65-run fourth-wicket partnership with Saif Zaib to help steady the innings.

After Lynn fell to Ball's slower off-cutter for 39 from 26 balls, leaving the score at 91-4, Northants struggled to build momentum as Somerset claimed wickets steadily.

Ball also accounted for Zaib (26) and Lewis McManus (21), while Meredith claimed 3-21 and Overton finished with 2-33.

Northants required a standout effort and began their defense of 143 effectively when Tom Banton, released by England for Finals Day, was caught behind for a duck off Willey on the first ball of Somerset's chase.

Thomas Rew, caught by McSweeney off Ben Sanderson, and James Rew, bowled by Willey, soon followed to leave Somerset struggling at 12-3 inside three overs.

Will Smeed looked to restore control for Somerset by hitting Luke Procter for four fours and two sixes in the sixth over, adding 28 runs - more than Somerset had scored in their opening five overs combined.

However, Smeed was out for 49 to James Sales, with keeper McManus completing a fine one-handed diving catch to his right, halting the momentum before Lewis Gregory (13) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (29) fell quickly to leave Somerset at 104-6.

Willey produced the standout moment in the 18th over with a remarkable piece of fielding to dismiss quarter-final hero Overton for five, diving beyond the rope to palm the ball back for Zaib to catch off Sanderson.

It proved a fitting highlight to Northamptonshire's determined fielding display en route to victory, completed when Daniel Sams fell for 13 in the 19th over and Meredith was bowled off the final ball by Sanderson, who ended with 3-28.