Birmingham Bears win the T20 Blast at Edgbaston

Birmingham Bears have won the NatWest T20 Blast on their home ground, beating Lancashire by four runs in a thrilling final at Edgbaston on 23 August.

Chris Woakes held his nerve in the final over, bowling to the former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, and conceded only nine runs when Lancashire needed 14 to win.

The final

Batting first, Birmingham made 181 for five, with Laurie Evans top-scoring with 53. Lancashire's reply was led by Karl Brown, who made 55, and they stayed in the hunt until the final over. But Oliver Hannon-Dalby took three wickets for 31, and Woakes's calm final over sealed victory by four runs, with Lancashire finishing on 177 for eight.

It is the county's first title in the Twenty20 competition, which began in 2003.

Flintoff's return

The final had an extra twist, with Flintoff, who retired from cricket in 2010, having come out of retirement to play for Lancashire in this year's competition. He was at the crease at the end, but could not find the boundaries his side needed.

A new name

This season, Warwickshire have played their Twenty20 matches under the name Birmingham Bears, part of an effort to attract new audiences to the short format of the game, and to connect the club more closely with the city. The name has divided some traditional supporters, but the team's success this summer will help win them over.

A record-breaking competition

The T20 Blast, which replaced the previous Twenty20 competition this year, has proved a big success. More than 700,000 people attended matches during the season, making it the best-attended season of Twenty20 cricket in England since the format began.

The 18 counties were split into two groups, with the top four in each going through to the quarter-finals. Finals Day, with both semi-finals and the final played on the same day, was held at Edgbaston, which has hosted it many times.

Home advantage

Winning the trophy in front of a home crowd made the day even more special. Edgbaston is famous for its noisy, passionate crowds, and the ground was packed for Finals Day.

Head coach Dougie Brown praised his players for their composure under pressure, and said winning at home was an incredible feeling.

A proud county

Warwickshire, who play at Edgbaston in the heart of Birmingham, are one of the most successful counties in English cricket. They won the County Championship in 2012 and have a long history of producing England players, including Woakes and Ian Bell.

The club will now turn its attention to the rest of the season, including the County Championship and the one-day cup, with a squad full of confidence after lifting its first Twenty20 trophy.