Essex edge into T20 Finals Day with thrilling victory over Birmingham Bears
They're the first team through to Finals Day
Essex became the first team through to 2023 Vitality Blast Finals Day after beating Birmingham Bears by two wickets in a thrilling quarter-final at Edgbaston.
The Bears charged through the group stage with 11 wins out of 14 but bowed out at the quarter-final stage for the third successive year in the face of a commanding display from Simon Harmer's side.
Disciplined Essex bowling, backed up by excellent fielding, restricted the Bears to 167 for six. Sam Hain struck a typically polished 52 off 26 balls but, tied down by Harmer and Sam Cook, the home side needed some late hitting from Chris Benjamin and Dominic Drakes to least approach par.
Essex then reached 171 for eight with a ball to spare. Dan Lawrence underpinned the chase with a high-class 62 off 41 balls and Paul Walter's swashbuckling 15-ball 27 retained his side's control at a vital time mid-innings.
The Bears fought hard in the closing overs and Essex needed three from the last two balls before Shane Snater hit the first of them for six.
Essex chose to field and started brilliantly as Daniel Sams delivered a wicket maiden. Rob Yates skied the third ball of the innings to third man and it was not until the eighth ball that the Bears opened their account with a top-edged two. Five for one from 14 balls was not a start to excite the 10,812 crowd.
Glenn Maxwell pulled the 15th ball for six but Alex Davies fell in the next over, adjudged to have gloved a pull at Aaron Beard.
Maxwell added five fours to his six in a punchy 32 but then pulled Walter to deep mid-wicket where Sams took a calm catch and repeated the feat 17 balls later to oust Dan Mousley.
Harmer increased the pressure by conceding just three in his first over and bowling Jake Bethell in his second. Hain posted his 25th T20 half-century, from 33 balls, but then sliced Cook to shirt third man.
With Hain went the Bears' hopes of a really imposing total and it was left to Benjamin (24) and Drakes (21 not out) to eke 34 from the last 21 balls to heave the total over 150.
The Bears needed to strike early but Adam Rossington countered with 21 from 11 balls to make immediate inroads into the modest target.
Rossington was run out by smart work from Davies but Essex thundered to 77 for one from 41 balls before a wobble arrived with two wickets in three balls, Michael Pepper slicing to short third man and Feroze Khushi hitting a Jake Lintott full toss to deep mid-wicket.
Successive sixes by Walter off Maxwell reasserted the visitors' control and Lawrence continued to work the ball around with consummate skill before his departure set up a tense finish.
With seven needed from two overs, Lawrence lifted the next ball, from Drakes, to mid on. A superb over from the West Indian cost just a single and saw Harmer run out from the last ball, leaving six still to find from the last over, bowled by Olly Hannon-Dalby.
That came down to three from the last two balls, the first of which Snater smashed for a straight six to end Essex's quarter-final hoodoo against the Bears who won both their previous meetings in the last eight.