T20 Blast team of the tournament: Who joins James Vince and Matt Henry in our XI?

The Cricketer looks back at the standout performers from the 2023 T20 Blast, which saw Somerset end their 18-year wait for a second title

Ben McDermott, wicketkeeper (Hampshire) – 407 runs at an average of 31.3, 8 catches, 6 stumpings

The Australian opener continued his consistent form for Hampshire as they fell short of becoming the first team to retain the Blast title.

McDermott provided explosive moments throughout the tournament as his partnership with James Vince again proved crucial on their march to Finals Day.

However, it is the Aussie's quick hands that cemented his place in this team. He led dismissals amongst the wicketkeepers in the tournament with 14 overall.

James Vince (Hampshire) – 670 runs at an average of 60.90

The Hampshire captain has cemented himself in the Vitality Blast history books this year as he became the tournament's highest-ever run-scorer. Vince has become synonymous with the Blast as his consistent performances make him and his team perennial challengers. Only three times before has a player scored more Blast runs in a season – and two of those occasions were Vince.

This was the second consecutive year where he has led his team to Finals Day while also topping the run scoring charts for the season. He hit 70 runs more than the second-highest run-scorer (Daniel Bell-Drummond), with his 48-ball century a standout innings against eventual finalists Essex earlier in the year.

Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent) – 600 runs at an average of 60

Kent will look back on their final group game against Somerset as a 'what if' moment. Needing a win to secure progress to the quarter-final they were without the services of Bell-Drummond due to an injury picked up in the previous match.

It is not too hyperbolic to suggest Kent's chances ended with him. He batsmen has enjoyed a stellar season across all formats – with a triple-hundred in the County Championship – and despite missing the last game-and-a-half of the group stage, this was his best Blast tournament in terms of runs scored.

^{Sam Hain had a stellar campaign, even if it was interrupted by injuries (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Somerset) – 489 runs at an average of 34.92

Often, the finer details of finals are forgotten over time, but with 15 runs needed from 10 balls, Daniel Sams' swipe seemed to be heading to the boundary before Kohler-Cadmore dived to his left to take a one-handed catch to seal the title for Somerset. Had it gone through him for four, who knows how it might have ended?

It was otherwise a rare underwhelming day for Kohler-Cadmore with the bat, but as the cliché goes, catches win matches – and, in this case, tournaments. His signing from Yorkshire over the winter was one of the pillars of Somerset's campaign, forming a fearsome partnership with Tom Banton and Will Smeed.

Sam Hain (Birmingham Bears) – 481 runs at an average of 96.20

The Bears star man appeared to be heading for historic numbers before a hamstring injury curtailed his Vitality Blast campaign.

Prior to the injury he had hit an incredible 417 runs at an average of 139. He managed to return for the last game of the group stage and top-scored for his team in the quarter-final with 52.

It wasn't enough as the Bears crashed out to Essex, but Hain's performances were some of the standouts of the competition.

Wayne Madsen (Derbyshire) – 580 runs at average of 48.33

The veteran had a fantastic group stage, making his second T20 century for Derbyshire and at one stage falling narrowly short of becoming the first player to hit fifties in six consecutive T20 innings.

While his team were prevented from reaching the quarter-finals after a last-round loss against Worcestershire, it was Madsen's efforts with the bat that kept them in the hunt.

He hit 63 in the final game, while his 109 took them to victory over Leicestershire at the start of June. His 580 runs made him the third-highest run scorer of the tournament, narrowly ahead of the Surrey pairing of Will Jacks and Laurie Evans.

^{Daniel Sams nearly dragged Essex over the line in the final (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

Daniel Sams (Essex) – 419 runs at an average of 29.92, 25 wickets with an economy of 8.40

The Australian allrounder nearly stole the show on Finals Day. His knock of 29 in the semi-final all but saw Essex past Hampshire.

In the final, it fell to Sams to get them over the line, with only the tail for support. His 45 runs got them close before Kohler-Cadmore's catch prevented him from hero status. He had already done plenty by then, though, hitting 30 sixes – level with Will Smeed and one behind competition-leader Will Jacks – along the way.

He also took 25 wickets as he went away with the PCA Blast MVP award.

Ben Green (Somerset) – 30 wickets with an economy of 9.23, 183 runs at an average of 26.14

Somerse's impressive bowling unit led the way for them on Finals Day, just as it had throughout the season. Green proved invaluable to them as he and Matt Henry were the only bowlers to break the 30-wicket mark for the tournament.

The semi-final saw the English seamer – without a Hundred deal – take three wickets, including those of Sam Curran and Jamie Smith, which proved crucial in the final reckoning. With the bat, it was his innings – alongside Lewis Gregory – that steered Somerset away from trouble in their quarterfinal against Notts.

Nathan Sowter (Durham) – 24 wickets with an economy of 6.73

After his release by Middlesex, the Australia-born leggie joined Durham – having spent time on loan there in 2022 – and has not looked back.

While Durham struggled throughout the group stage, Sowter was a shining light with 24 wickets, leaving him one clear of Matt Critchley as the competition's most successful spinner.

Sowter had two standout innings against Northamptonshire, claiming 5 for 15 and 4 for 14 against them.

^{Ben Green (right) took 30 wickets in the tournament; Tom Kohler-Cadmore (left) took the winning catch (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

Nathan Ellis (Hampshire) – 23 wickets with an economy of 7.33

The Australian fast bowler once again took on a key role for Hampshire this year, leading the 2022 champions' bowling attack.

For once, he couldn't quite close out the semi-final against Essex, going for two sixes and a four in the final over as the 2019 winners got over the line at his expense.

Overall, though, Ellis did nothing to harm his reputation as a highly skilful fast bowler at both ends of the innings.

In the quarterfinal, he took 4 for 6 as helped bowl Worcestershire out cheaply. They were career-best bowling figures for the Australian.

Matt Henry (Somerset) – 31 wickets with an economy of 7.85

The New Zealand fast bowler took two wickets in Somerset's Blast opener, where they reduced Hampshire to their lowest-ever T20 score, and never looked back.

It was a statement of intent by a bowling unit that have followed through on the early promise, taking 151 of the 170 wickets available to them across a glorious campaign.

Henry was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 31 wickets over the tournament, forging a fruitful partnership with Craig Overton and saving his best performance for the final, taking 4 for 24 to secure the title. Only once has a bowler taken more Blast wickets in a season.

Honourable mentions: Will Jacks, Laurie Evans, Will Smeed, Tom Banton, Max Holden, Zak Chappell, Zaman Khan, Matt Critchley, John Turner