David Willey: 'Somerset looked like they thought they'd won it'

David Willey, Northamptonshire's captain, commented that Somerset acted "like they thought they'd just won it" at the midway point of their T20 Blast semi-final match, which motivated him for a strong performance in the second half. He shared this following a remarkable individual performance that pushed his side into the final. Willey acknowledged that Northants played "some dumb cricket" while only managing 143 runs all out in their innings at Edgbaston.

Willey made a remarkable start, taking a wicket with his first delivery and finishing with impressive bowling figures of 3 for 17. He also made a memorable flying relay catch to dismiss Craig Overton. Somerset aimed to become the first county to successfully defend the domestic T20 title, as well as winning a third title in four years. However, they fell short by 17 runs against Northamptonshire, who were particularly pleased with the victory after two heavy defeats at the hands of Somerset during the group stage.

Willey expressed satisfaction with the turnaround despite Northants struggling previously. "I think for two-and-a-half games we've been absolutely diabolical against them, and we've turned it on in the last little hour and a half," he noted. He was motivated by Somerset's apparent overconfidence, stating, "That’s what it looked like to me, and that’s like a red rag to a bull to me. Coming from little old Northampton, I don't like that. It really got me revved up and generally speaking when I'm revved up I play my best cricket, so it was very satisfying."

Regarding his team's batting performance, Willey reflected that it was poor compared to their expectations, admitting, "s***… that wasn't the plan". He felt they were 15-20 runs shy and highlighted the necessity for a complete performance. Willey was aware their batting failures led them to play on the back foot, putting pressure on their bowling.

Somerset faced a setback with Tom Banton's injury, who strained his quadriceps while fielding in the 15th over. Banton was drafted in from England's ODI squad for Finals Day but had to leave to receive treatment. He was replaced by Tom Abell, but Banton was out for a duck facing Willey shortly after. Somerset's attempts to secure the title were hindered by these complications and ultimately fell short in their pursuit of 144 runs.