The Cricketer reviews the best of the action from Finals Day as the 2024 competition reaches a climax at Edgbaston
Edgbaston: Surrey 153-9, Somerset 159-4 - Somerset win by six wickets
Somerset took the first step towards retaining their Vitality Blast title by inflicting more pain on rivals Surrey as they came out of the first semi-final with a seven-wicket triumph as Edgbaston hosted its 16th T20 Finals Day.
James Rew and Sean Dickson combined to rescue Somerset in the semi-final (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
They had looked in big trouble at 7 for 3 chasing 154 but Sean Dickson (76 from 57 balls) and James Rew (62 not out from 44) shared a stand of 144 for the third wicket as Somerset powered into the final with eight balls to spare
The win came just 48 hours after the west country side had pulled off a stunning victory at Taunton to cut Surrey's lead as the Vitality County Championship heads for an exciting climax.
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Related: Laurie Evans: Finals Day about "handling the expectation" for Surrey
Edgbaston: Sussex 106, Gloucestershire 109-2 - Gloucestershire win by eight wickets
Underdogs Gloucestershire will meet defending champions Somerset in the final of the Vitality Blast later after bowling out Sussex for just 106 on the way to an eight-wicket victory in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.
Sussex, who had scored 200 or higher six times in the group stages, were blown away in 18.1 overs as left-arm seamer Matt Taylor and left-arm spinner Tom Smith took three wickets each and David Payne raised his tally to 30 as the competition's leading wicket-taker while conceding just nine runs in four overs.
Gloucestershire chased down Sussex's target with ease in the semi-final (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Wicketkeeper James Bracey then hammered an unbeaten 49 off 28 balls with three sixes as Gloucestershire, looking for their first T20 title having been finalists just once, back in 2007, eased through to the decider with a yawning 38 balls to spare. Australian opener Cameron Bancroft had earlier hit 39 from 35.
Jack Taylor's team qualified for the quarter-finals only on net run-rate after losing half their group games, including both clashes with Sussex, but sneaked through with wins in their last two before knocking out hosts Birmingham Bears on this ground to reach their fourth finals day.
Related: David Payne: "It's like waiting for Christmas Day, I've never bowled better in the Blast"
Edgbaston: Somerset 123, Gloucestershire 129-2 - Gloucestershire win by eight wickets
Gloucestershire are Vitality Blast champions after their late season surge took them to the first T20 title in the club's history with a stunning eight-wicket victory over holders Somerset in the final at Edgbaston.
Jack Taylor's team followed their eight-wicket semi-final defeat of Sussex with another superbly professional performance against their west country rivals, who were strong favourites after beating Surrey in the other semi-final but were soundly beaten with 30 balls to spare.
Gloucestershire bowled Somerset out for just 123 in the final (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Miles Hammond (58 not out from 41 balls) and Cameron Bancroft (53 from 42), prolific partners at the top of the innings this season, shared their second hundred-plus stand of the campaign, putting on 112 before they were parted as Gloucestershire chased a modest target of 125 on a slow pitch that had yielded runs at a miserly rate for most of the day.
Matt Taylor (3 for 19) and David Payne (3 for 27), who have shared 61 Blast wickets this season, were again Gloucestershire's biggest weapons with the ball as they showed themselves masters of the conditions, the county lifting their first silverware for nine years.
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