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Faulkner stars as Lancashire take T20 title

Aussie allrounder makes impact with bat and ball to help team to long-awaited triumph

Australia allrounder James Faulkner capped an eventful couple of months by helping Lancashire to a 13-run win over Northamptonshire in the final of English domestic cricket's Twenty20 tournament at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Faulkner, man of the match in Australia's World Cup final win over New Zealand in Melbourne in March, was fined 10,000 pounds and banned from driving for two years by an English court on August 5 after being found to be nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit when his car was involved in a minor collision with the back of another vehicle in Manchester.

Prior to that drink-drive punishment, Cricket Australia temporarily banned Faulkner for "conduct that is unbecoming of a representative", ruling him out of both last week's one-day international against Ireland in Belfast and the upcoming white-ball matches against England, starting with Monday's Twenty20 in Cardiff.

Quick Single: Faulkner destined for Test cricket: Marsh

But the focus was back on the 25-year-old's cricket on Saturday as Lancashire, last season's beaten finalists, ended a 16-year wait for a limited-overs trophy.

The Tasmanian took 2-25, including both Northamptonshire openers David Willey and Richard Levi, and afterwards Lancashire coach Ashley Giles told Sky Sports: "(Faulkner has) a huge impact on the whole team. He's been a pleasure to have around.

"His skills are undoubted and he loves these big occasions - he just steps up and gets on with it.”

Sent into bat, Lancashire made 166 for seven in their 20 overs, a total built on a 77-run opening stand between South Africa's Ashwell Prince (43) and Alex Davies (47), who was named man of the match.

Pakistan star Shahid Afridi helped check Lancashire's progress, the veteran allrounder taking a superb three for 14 in a maximum four overs with his leg-spinners.

Meanwhile, Northampton-born Willey, set to leave his native side for county champions Yorkshire, saw his left-arm fast-medium bowling yield figures of 2-21.

Northamptonshire had stormed into finals day on the back of Willey's blistering 40-ball hundred against Sussex – the quickest Twenty20 century by an Englishman.

Willey blasts 40-ball century

The way he struck Faulkner into the Eric Hollies Stand for six on Saturday hinted at similar heroics.

But the Australian responded by removing Levi (16) and England limited overs allrounder Willey (24) in the space of four balls, with the aid of catches at mid-off and midwicket respectively.

Josh Cobb (44 not out) and Afridi (26) revived Northamptonshire's hopes with a rapid fifth-wicket stand of 52.

Afridi, nicknamed 'Boom Boom' on account of his penchant for big-hitting, struck one huge six while another fierce hit straight back at Faulkner left the Australian needing to have his finger straightened out by a member of the Lancashire medical staff.

But Gavin Griffiths effectively ended Northamptonshire's victory charge when he induced Afridi to hole out to Liam Livingstone in the deep.

In Lancashire’s semi-final, played earlier in the day at the same venue under the competition’s finals day format, Faulkner took 3-29 and then made 20 not out against Hampshire to guide his team into the decider, hitting two consecutive sixes to end the contest with seven balls to spare.