Ash Neal and Kieran Wood hit half-centuries as Basingstoke and North Hants produced a late run blitz to secure a six-wicket Guy Jewell T20 Cup semi-final victory over Hook & Newnham Basics with five balls to spare, writes Mike Vimpany.
Responding to Hook's competitive 161-9, Basingstoke pair Wood (59 not out) and teenager Neil Shelar (15 not out) hit 20 runs off seven balls to get the Bountymen across the line.
Basingstoke, who beat Andover in last year's final, will defend the trophy against Old Basing at May's Bounty on bank holiday Monday, August 28.
Hook, currently experiencing a lean run of results, launched their innings at a blistering rate with Sam Lockwood (30) hitting two sixes and four boundaries in rapid time.
Hook were 42-2 off five overs, Harry Warner (17) making some handy runs.
The talented Rupes Armstrong (41) cleared the Bounty boundary rope three times - he also hit three fours - before Dan Moore chipped in with 21, and Dan Scott and Lewis Watts 12 each.
Basingstoke lost openers Matt Deadman and Dubs Wood cheaply, but from 21-2 they began to control proceedings with Neal (59) playing some glorious improvised shots and sharing an eye-catching century partnership with Kieran Wood.
The cup holders were 143-4 after 18 overs - but Wood and Shelar plundered 16 runs off Moore's penultimate over to take Basingstoke to the brink of a victory which Wood (who finished with 59 not out) duly clinched with a boundary at the start of the 20th over.
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