Hampshire Hawks hammer Birmingham Bears to qualify for Vitality Blast Finals Day | Cricket News

Hampshire Hawks reach Vitality Blast Finals Day after thumping Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston; visitors post 186-6 as Ben McDermott top-scores with 61 before razing home side for just 82; Hampshire join Yorkshire Vikings at Finals Day; last two quarter-finals on Friday and Saturday

Ben McDermott hit six fours and four sixes in Hampshire’ Hawks’ win over Birmingham Bears

​Hampshire Hawks booked their place at Vitality Blast Finals Day as they skittled Birmingham Bears for 82 during a thumping 104-run win at Edgbaston.

The Hawks emphatically ended the Bears’ T20 campaign, denying their hosts a Finals Day place back in Birmingham on July 16 and, at the same time, silencing a big, sun-soaked crowd.

The Hawks were lifted to an imposing 186-6 by the clean hitting of Ben McDermott (61 off 36 balls) and Joe Weatherley (47 off 31).

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Watch the last over from Hampshire’s thrashing of Birmingham in the Vitality Blast quarter-final

Bears’ linchpin spinners Danny Briggs and Jake Lintott took some unaccustomed punishment (a combined six overs for 76), although skipper Carlos Brathwaite stepped up with 4-31.

The Bears had topped 200 seven times in the group stage but this time were bowled out in only 13.3 overs by top-drawer bowling led by James Fuller (4-17) Nathan Ellis (3-4) and Brad Wheal (2-9).

After the Hawks chose to bat, England paceman Olly Stone opened up with two excellent overs for eight runs, but McDermott and James Vince (31 off 22) soon upped the ante.

After scoring 11 from the first two overs, they smashed 50 from the next four as Australian McDermott, in particular, broke loose. His fourth six, hoisted over extra cover off former Hawks spinner Briggs, took him to 50 from 28 balls.

The openers added 93 in 56 balls before Brathwaite dismissed both in four balls. Vince edged to wicketkeeper Alex Davies and McDermott dragged a yorker onto his stumps.

It was three wickets in 10 balls when Tom Prest (2) missed a reverse sweep and was lbw to Dan Mousley.

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Birmingham captain Carlos Brathwaite was dismissed second delivery in his side’s crushing defeat

Weatherley and Ross Whiteley (24 off 16) got things back on track with a stand of 69 in 40 balls before the latter was superbly held by Lintott at long-off off Brathwaite.

Craig Miles and Adam Hose held their nerve under skiers to oust Weatherley and Liam Dawson (2) respectively, the latter wicket giving Brathwaite his four-for.

The Hawks’ total looked about par on a good pitch but they got their talons straight into the Bears’ reply as Ellis forced Paul Stirling (1) into a miscue and Wheal’s first ball bowled Davies (6).

Sam Hain (11) hoicked Wheal to deep midwicket and when Fuller’s third ball yorked Hose (16), the Bears were 40-4 in the seventh over.

The Hawks kept the pressure on and Chris Benjamin (10) and Brathwaite (4) sent up catches off Fuller to leave the bowler with 3-11 from his first two overs and Vince’s side closed out victory without breaking sweat.

Watch the last two Vitality Blast quarter-finals live on Sky Sports Cricket, starting with Lancashire Lightning vs Essex Eagles on Friday (on air at 6.15pm, first ball at 6.30pm) and then Somerset vs Derbyshire Falcons on Saturday (on air at 6.30pm, first ball at 7pm).