T20 Blast 2024 roundup: Michael Pepper hundred sets up Essex win, Hampshire stage late show

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action from the latest round of matches in the 2024 Vitality Blast

North Group

Old Trafford: Lancashire 179-7, Derbyshire 122 - Lancashire win by 57 runs

Lancashire Lightning inflicted a second defeat in three matches Derbyshire Falcons when they eased to a comfortable 57-run victory in the Vitality Blast match at Emirates Old Trafford.

After posting 179 for seven in their 20 overs, Lightning restricted the Falcons to 122 all out.

Australian overseas signing Chris Green took four for 12 to add to his rapid 22 in 11-balls late in Lancashire's innings.

Northampton: Yorkshire 186-6, Northamptonshire 157-8 - Yorkshire win by 29 runs

Jordan Thompson claimed three wickets in 18 miserly overs and hit a crucial quickfire 20 as Yorkshire Vikings inflicted a comprehensive win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in this Vitality Blast clash at Wantage Road.

Dom Bess and Matt Revis also shared two wickets apiece as the Vikings restricted the Steelbacks to 157 for 8 chasing 187 to win, coming out victors by 29 runs.

Ravi Bopara had kept the hosts in the hunt with 35 to follow bowling figures of 4 for 34 and Ricardo Vasconcelos made 37, but with wickets falling regularly, the momentum was all with the Vikings.

^{Jamie Smith played a remarkable knock for Surrey (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

South Group

Southampton: Kent 165-9, Hampshire 166-7 - Hampshire win by three wickets

James Fuller, Benny Howell and Liam Dawson's late sixes gave Hampshire Hawks a stunning comeback victory over Kent Spitfires to get their Vitality Blast campaign going.

The Hawks required 42 off the last three overs but three maximums in a row from Fuller turned the game before Howell and Dawson smashed over the ropes in clutch circumstances to win by three wickets.

Allrounder Joey Evison picked up 3 for 31 – his second-best T20 figures – to put Kent in control before the late efforts handed Hampshire their first T20 win of the season.

Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings' 40s were the foundations for the Spitfires 165 for 9 but it didn't quite prove enough as Spitfires have one win and one loss so far.

Cardiff: Glamorgan 183-7, Sussex 158-6 - Glamorgan win by 25 runs 

Glamorgan claimed their first win of the 2024 Vitality Blast with a 25-run victory over Sussex in Cardiff, with Sam Northeast's 61 not out enough to set up a winning target.

Four wickets for Tymal Mills helped to restrict Glamorgan to 183 for 7 from their 20 overs but a solid Glamorgan bowling display, and a much improved effort in the field from their first match in this competition against Surrey, saw them defend the target.

James Coles top-scored for Sussex with a career-best 69 not out but he had little support from the rest of the Sussex batting line-up.

The star with the ball for Glamorgan was Mason Crane who finished with figures of 2 for 22 from his four overs as Sussex finished on 158 for 6.

^{Michael Pepper struck a supreme century for Essex (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

Chelmsford: Middlesex 203-7, Essex 207-6 - Essex win by four wickets 

Michael Pepper led the carnage with a hard-hitting century, spiced with six sixes, to get Essex's Vitality Blast campaign up and running with a four-wicket victory over Middlesex at Chelmsford.

Last year's finalists had lost their opening two matches down in the West Country against Gloucestershire and Somerset but bounced back with a vengeance as Essex batmen feasted on a below-par Middlesex attack.

Pepper came in at 14 for 1 and was finally out for 101 with just 15 runs required. He put on 83 with Dean Elgar (32) for the second wicket to spark the run chase into action. Jordan Cox hammered 22 from eight balls, Matt Critchley 16 from 11, but they were merely supporting players as Essex got home with 14 balls to spare.

Middlesex's innings was underpinned by an unbeaten 85 from 42 balls from Max Holden and set in motion by 49 from 31 balls by opener Martin Andersson. But they have now lost their first two games of the season.

Kia Oval: Surrey 163, Somerset 106 - Surrey win by 57 runs

Jamie Smith's sparkling knock of 87 from 38 balls laid the foundations for Surrey's third straight Vitality Blast win as they took revenge on Somerset, their conquerors in last year's semi-final.

The Surrey batter struck his second successive Blast half century, sharing a partnership of 111 from 56 with Ollie Pope prior to an astonishing collapse triggered by Somerset's Ben Green (4 for 32).

Green – who took three wickets to help seal Somerset's semi-final success en route to the 2023 title – claimed three in a single over at the Kia Oval as the home side lost their last six for 11 runs and slumped to 163 all out.

But Somerset failed to build partnerships in response, with Sean Abbott and Tom Curran taking three wickets apiece as the defending champions were rolled for 106 in the 16th over.

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