Vitality Blast Finals Day: What happens if it rains? Could a bowl out determine who wins?

Could a bowl-out determine the winners of the Vitality Blast? Sky Cricket statistician Benedict Bermange looks at what happens if rain comes into play at Edgbaston this weekend...

The reserve day has never been required in the previous 17 Finals Days but with the forecast at Edgbaston for Saturday looking grim, that could change this time around, while with rain also expected on Sunday, bowl-outs could come into the equation.

The playing times for Saturday are scheduled to be as follows (30 extra minutes are allowed for each match):

Semi-final 1: 11:00 - 13:45

Semi-final 2: 14:30 - 17:15

Final: 18:45 - 21:30

Playing times for Sunday, the reserve day, will be 10:00 - 20:00 if required.

Read how Notts, Lancs, Surrey and Gloucs made Finals Day

Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Surrey and Gloucestershire progressed from Thursday's quarter-finals

A Technical Committee, in conjunction with the umpires, will determine the re-arrangement of overs and timings of matches in the case of any match being delayed or interrupted.

The objectives of the Technical Committee will be prioritised as follows:

• To ensure that both semi-finals and the final are completed on the scheduled day of the matches (minimum overs to constitute a match is 5 overs per team).
• To ensure wherever possible a 20-over per side floodlit final.
• To ensure that wherever possible both semi-finals are of the same duration.
• To ensure that wherever possible, within each match, teams have the opportunity of batting for the same number of overs.
• To balance the desire to achieve commercial objectives with the need to ensure matches of as long a duration as possible.

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If it is not possible for both teams to receive the minimum of five overs necessary to constitute a match, the match shall be decided by a bowl out.

Live Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

Live Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

Live Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

Bowl-out procedure

• Five players from each side will bowl two deliveries each at a wicket
• The first bowler from Team A will bowl two deliveries, then the first bowler from Team B will bowl two deliveries
• Then the second bowler from Team A will bowl two deliveries, and so on
• The side which bowls down the wicket most times shall be the winner
• If the scores are equal, the same players will bowl one ball each alternately to achieve a result on a 'sudden death' basis
• The order in which the bowlers bowl in the sudden death may differ from the first stage of the bowl out

Watch Vitality Blast Finals Day live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Saturday.