Shane Warne claimed two crucial wickets to help Hampshire into a Friends Trophy Provident final clash with Durham on Wednesday.

Hampshire looked as if they could be in trouble against Warwickshire after managing a total of just 206 for seven from their 50 overs. But Warne’s capture of the wickets of Heath Streak and left-hander Jim Troughton helped break the visitors’ resistance and Warwickshire were all out 40 runs short of their target.

John Crawley top-scored for the home side with 65, outshining Kevin Pieter-sen, whose attempt to flay the bowling of fellow Maritzburg College old boy Tim Groenewald ended with him holding out to mid-off on 18.

In the other semifinal, discarded England bowler Liam Plunkett took four wickets for 15 and then hit an unbeaten 30 with the bat to steer Durham to victory over Essex.

Plunkett claimed his career best figures as Essex were skittled for just 71 runs in the semifinal.

But the home side came close to making a hash of what should have been a straightforward run chase, collapsing to 38 for five before Plunkett joined Ottis Gibson at the crease.

The turning point came one run later, in the 10th over of the chase, when Danish Kaneria dropped a sprawling chance at mid-on from a chipped drive by Gibson.

Later in the same over, Graham Napier bowled a no-ball and Plunkett lofted the free-hit for a towering straight six.

Fittingly, it was Plunkett who hit the winning runs.