Notts Outlaws missed out on a fifth Finals Day appearance in six years as Hampshire pulled off a thrilling two-run T20 Blast win at Trent Bridge.

Joe Clarke made 42 for Notts, passing 400 runs in this year’s competition, before his dismissal turned the game.

They needed three off the last over, but Dane Paterson was caught behind as they were all out for 123.

The Outlaws have been the dominant force in English domestic T20 cricket in recent years, lifting the trophy in 2017 and 2020 and also reaching Finals Day in 2016 and 2019.

And Hampshire – who previously won quarter-finals at Trent Bridge in 2012 and 2014 – went into the game without all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, who is preparing for New Zealand’s T20 series in Bangladesh.

Early wickets put Notts on top

They were immediately in trouble after Steven Mullaney put them in, with skipper James Vince caught off Samit Patel for six as they struggled to establish any momentum.

Calvin Harrison was on a hat-trick after bowling Lewis McManus and then taking a return catch from Liam Dawson to reach 20 wickets in the competition, but Tom Prest – aged only 18 – made 44 as he added 49 with James Fuller (30).

It was the only partnership of note in the Hawks innings as pace bowler Paterson took 3-22.

Hampshire’s total did not look anything like enough to trouble a Notts batting line-up headed by Alex Hales, who made 463 runs in their group games, and containing three others with a tally of over 300.

Brief cameo by dangerous Hales

Hales struck an early six, but was caught off Dawson for 19 and the home side suffered another setback when Ben Duckett was run out by Fuller’s direct hit after swerving to avoid a collision with bowler Scott Currie.

While Clarke was at the crease, it still seemed like relatively plain sailing for Notts, but when he also fell to Dawson (3-24), caught at extra cover, it heralded a collapse from 83-3 to 109-9.

Dawson and Currie each took two in two balls, like Harrison earlier in the game, but Matt Carter hit two sixes off Chris Wood to take Notts to the brink of victory.

Rules for a tie meant even two runs would have been enough in the final over to see Notts through, but Paterson was unable to rotate the strike and eventually edged Brad Wheal’s fourth delivery to the keeper, leaving Carter on 23 not out.

Hampshire’s dramatic win carried the 2010 and 2012 winners through to Finals Day for the first time since 2017, when they lost to Notts in the semi-finals.

Sussex Sharks beat Yorkshire by five wickets in the first quarter-final on Tuesday evening.

Notts Outlaws skipper Steven Mullaney:

“We’re a bit stunned. It is a score we should have definitely chased down. Credit to Hampshire, they stuck at it, but we are better than that and we should be going to Finals Day.

“Carts gave us a great chance with those sixes at the end and for Dane it was the right ball to attack and he nicked it, but it should not have been down to those two at the death, we should have taken more responsibility in the top six or seven and got over the line.

“I’m proud of the way we have performed in the competition, especially after losing Dan Christian only six days before the start, but at the same time we pride ourselves on being able to adapt in different situations and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Hampshire Hawks captain James Vince:

“We said at halfway that whatever happened we would keep going right to the end and we did exactly that.

“That has been the story for us throughout the competition really, from the position we were in in the group, to win the last five shows the character in the group is amazing. It did not go our way with the bat tonight but with the ball we were excellent.

“The wicket was not flat and helped our bowlers. We tried to make them hit in areas where we thought we could get wickets, but it is one thing to have a plan, another to execute it and our lads were outstanding.”

Coming up

Thursday (19:00 BST start)

Somerset v Lancashire Lightning

Friday (19:00)

Kent Spitfires v Birmingham Bears