A blistering 22-ball 70 from Kamran Dhariwal secured a significant victory for Gloucestershire against Worcestershire at New Road and booked their place in the quarter-finals.
Gloucestershire had been set 182 to win, after an astonishing 47 runs came from the final 12 balls of the Rapids’ innings – 44 of them from the bat of Kashif Ali (58 not out), who delivered an explosive late flurry including six sixes.
Gloucestershire began their chase quickly but when Worcestershire reduced them to 73-4, the target appeared to be out of reach.
Dhariwal then remarkably fired seven maximums in the space of two overs to turn the match on its head. Despite a late wobble from the Gloucestershire lower order, they sealed victory with an over to spare.
Somerset took a stride towards the quarter-finals with a routine seven-wicket victory over group toppers Northamptonshire at Taunton.
Put in, the Steelbacks lost in-form opening pair Ricardo Vasconcelos (23) and Chris Lynn (1) cheaply, but a dazzling knock of 76 from only 43 balls by Lewis McManus lifted Northants up to what looked a competitive total of 162-8.
It did not take long to establish that the group winners were a number of runs short in their defence. Both Will Smeed and Thomas Rew hit 46 from 20 balls and Somerset were well over halfway in their chase by the eighth over.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who finished 38 not out, administered four sixes of his own to ensure Somerset clinched victory in the 15th over to set up an intriguing clash with Worcestershire on Sunday.
Warwickshire edged a dramatic meeting with Glamorgan at Edgbaston, on a night in which both sides bowed out of the competition.
The Bears sealed the points with the penultimate ball of the match when chasing 189, after Dan Mousley fired two huge leg-side sixes.
Opener Will Smale (58) held the first half of Glamorgan’s innings together before Sean Dickson (55 not out) and Jimmy Neesham (27 not out) put on 74 to elevate the visitors up to 188–4.
Warwickshire laid down a platform thanks to a T20 career-best knock of 72 by Rob Yates (six fours, five sixes).
Glamorgan fought back and when Ben Kellaway (3-35) claimed the wickets of Yates and Sam Hain in the space of three deliveries, the momentum swung towards the away side.
The Bears still needed 11 from the final three balls when Neesham bowled a no ball which Mousley hammered away for six – he followed it up with another maximum to lead the hosts to victory.