Lancashire chase down imposing total to beat Yorkshire and reach Blast final

Keaton Jennings and Dane Vilas helped Lancashire into the Vitality Blast final after they made remarkably light work of a 205 target against Yorkshire.

Jordan Thompson recorded the fastest fifty in Finals Day history off just 17 balls, after Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 66 off 44 deliveries, to lift Yorkshire to what seemed a daunting 204 for seven at Edgbaston.

But Lancashire chased down the total with six wickets and eight balls to spare largely thanks to 75 off 51 balls from Jennings, fresh from his triple ton in the LV= Insurance County Championship this week.

Both group games between the Roses rivals were decided on the last ball, but there was no nerve-jangling finale here, with Vilas (63 not out off 36 balls) making sure his side eased to victory.

Phil Salt was also instrumental with a boundary-laden 36 off 15 balls, driving crisply and pulling with authority, before being cramped up and nicking off to Matthew Revis, who leaked 29 in his first over.

Salt’s impetus ensured Lancashire ended the powerplay on 89 for two, which allowed Vilas and Jennings to take minimal risks against Yorkshire’s quicks and spinners alike.

They continued to accelerate with ease in the middle passages as Yorkshire became increasingly desperate.

Jennings holed out with 24 still required from the last four overs, but there was little sense of a dramatic collapse even if Tim David was caught on the boundary off Revis.

Three balls later, Vilas thrashed his second six over the off-side to seal victory over a Yorkshire side missing captain David Willey, as well as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, absent because of their England commitments.

While Lancashire were also hampered by the absences of Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, they showed their batting