The second semi-final of the Vitality Blast Men 2025 at Edgbaston had all the makings of a tight finish. Rain had cut the contest short and Northamptonshire looked to have dragged themselves back into the game after a shaky start.
But in the middle of it all, Hampshire had Chris Lynn. And the Australian batter made sure the occasion belonged entirely to him.
Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source
His power-hitting not only broke records but also shifted the momentum of the match in a way few had seen before on T20 Finals Day.
Chris Lynn scores historic first century on T20 Finals Day
Lynn smashed 108 not out from just 51 deliveries - becoming the first player in 22 years of Finals Day to register a hundred. His knock included 11 sixes - five of them in a single over against Lloyd Pope's leg-spin.
It was in that over that Lynn brought up his century from 49 balls - only for an lbw appeal on the final delivery to briefly interrupt the carnage before being overturned on review.
"It's easy to sit here and say it's a flat wicket now. One ball at a time, that was the approach. Really happy, but still got one more job to do," Lynn said after the match.
Record-breaking innings powered Hampshire into the final
The innings went far beyond personal milestones. Hampshire had been set 155 under the DLS method with Lynn scoring 108 of those runs almost single-handedly.
The next-best contribution was 12 from captain James Vince. His total surpassed the previous highest score on Finals Day: Luke Wright's 92 for Sussex in 2018.
More: 'Glenn Maxwell wouldn't have hit 200 in Kabul' - Taliban's Anas Haqqani recalls Afghanistan’s 2023 World Cup loss to Australia
Northamptonshire had their moments with Justin Broad and Luke Procter stitching together a 70-run stand to give their side hope. But Ravi Bopara admitted after the game that Lynn's effort was "unbelievable" and proved impossible to stop.
With the win, Hampshire advanced to the final against Somerset - both teams chasing a record fourth T20 title. Lynn couldn't replicate his heroics in the final - dismissing for 12.
The semi-final effort, though, will be remembered as a Finals Day landmark: the night Chris Lynn made history at Edgbaston.
RELATED LINKS:
- Who will win the Asia Cup 2025? Latest odds, favourites
- Asia Cup 2025: TV channel online live stream and how to watch the T20 tournament from India
- How to bet online on cricket in India and most trusted sites
- All the latest cricket news
- 2025 Asia Cup schedule, fixtures, match times, latest results and points table
- Asia Cup 2025 highest wicket-takers: Top 5 bowlers with most wickets in the T20 tournament in UAE
- Asia Cup 2025 highest run scorers: Top 5 batters with most runs in the T20 tournament in UAE