Afridi blasts 101 to send Hampshire into finals day

Shahid Afridi exploited Derbyshire’s lack of big-time experience – it was their first T20 Blast quarterfinal since 2005 – to propel farmore-seasoned Hampshire into the finals day at Edgbaston on Sept 2.

Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, promoted to open, hit his century off 42 balls, second only to David Willey’s 40-ball effort in 2015. Afridi never let Derbyshire’s nerves settle in last night’s first quarter-final in Derby. Their opening gambit of using Wayne Madsen’s slow off-breaks for the first over had been working against hesitant county batsmen, but the belligerent 37-year-old swept and drove four fours – and Derbyshire’s game plan unravelled. Afridi smote 10 fours and seven sixes to finish with 101 off 43 balls.

Derbyshire had prepared a green, seaming track, but under Afridi’s assault their seamers lost their length and pitched far too full. Strangely, their only seamer of much international experience, Matt Henry, of New Zealand, did not bowl an over in the six-over Powerplay, and did not bowl his second over until the 13th of the innings, when he had Afridi caught at long leg off a top-edged hook.

Hampshire’s captain James Vince supported Afridi with 55 off 36 balls. In all Hampshire hit 22 fours and 14 sixes in their highest T20 total, and the eighth highest total in all T20 cricket worldwide.

Derbyshire, facing the insuperable target of 250, lost four wickets in the Powerplay alone and were dismissed for 148.