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Northamptonshire Claim T20 Crown

Northamptonshire Claim T20 Crown

David Willey took a hat-trick to complete Northamptonshire's 102-run triumph over Surrey in the Friends Life t20 final, their first major trophy for 21 years.

Willey had earlier hit a 19-ball half-century in a Northants' total of 194-2 in a match reduced to 18 overs by an early rain delay at Edgbaston.

He also struck early with the ball to remove Surrey opener Jason Roy, ran out Steven Davies with a direct hit and returned to the attack to dismiss the last three batsmen with successive balls and finish with figures of 4-9.

Zafar Ansari, Jon Lewis and Chris Tremlett were all caught off Willey's bowling as Surrey were all out for 92 in 13.3 overs.

Willey (60) was only promoted after Kyle Coetzer injured a wrist in the seven-wicket semi-final win over Essex, but it proved a blessing in disguise.

His heavy hitting was then followed by Alex Wakely (59) and Cameron White (54), who combined in an unbeaten 107-run stand from 57 balls, on a night Surrey's bowlers would rather forget.

Dernbach was chief among those as the England right-armer's four overs cost 55 - the second-most expensive figures on finals day.

Northamptonshire made their blazing start, either side of a 45-minute rain delay, as Willey quickly dispelled any notion his was to be a foil to Richard Levi's big hitting at the top of the order.

He thumped Mahmood for consecutive sixes before it was Levi who was first man out, bowled by the veteran Pakistani, before the rain arrived for 45 minutes.

On resumption Willey took no time to pick up where he left off, slapping 20 from the first over back from Dernbach.

Willey brought up his half-century with a straight six off Jon Lewis before the veteran finally ended his destruction.

Willey skied a high catch that Gary Wilson held onto, but it failed to stop the bleed of runs as White and Wakely seamlessly took over.

They targeted the Hollies Stand on the short side of the ground with Wakely bringing up their 50-run stand, from 31 balls, by squeezing a boundary through point.

The skipper then flat-batted Dernbach over the ropes while White was hardly quiet, welcoming Mahmood's return to the attack with a trademark straight six.

Wakely's half-century arrived from his 25th ball and the runs kept flowing with Mahmood, who was a part of the Surrey side that won the inaugural Twenty20 title in 2003, conceding one for 53.

The century stand was brought up from the penultimate ball and White put an exclamation mark on the innings, and brought up his fifty, with a pulled six.

Surrey never threatened such a challenging target. A Willey inswinger slid into Roy's stumps in the third over to set the tone for a dismal run chase.

Willey was in the action again soon afterwards when his throw from the boundary left Roy's opening partner Davies short of his ground.

After dangerman Glenn Maxwell (29) edged Steven Crook behind, Willey was waiting again on the ropes to hold on to Azhar Mahmood's lofted drive.

Surrey's heads unsurprisingly started to drop and when Zander de Bruyn saw White hold on at the second attempt their victory bid had become a forlorn hope before Willey finished things off in quick time.