THE big games always seems to bring the best out of James Vince.

Vince's first T20 century set up a 17-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis method against Worcestershire at New Road - and booked Hampshire's place at Finals Day for the sixth consecutive season.

The captain’s unbeaten 107 from 65 balls underpinned a total of 196 for four. But Worcestershire only got as far as 58 for two in 8.1 overs when the umpires, Rob Bailey and Tim Robinson, took the players off because conditions had become “dangerous.”

The decision was taken after Hampshire fielder Chris Wood suffered a broken nose when he tried to take a catch from Ross Whiteley on the square leg boundary.

The ball went through his hands, hitting his nose, and although he got in his return to restrict Whiteley to a single, he immediately needed attention from Hampshire’s medical staff.

In semi-darkness and with no obvious sign of improvement in the weather, this was the end of the match and another notch on Worcestershire’s record of losing each of their five quarter-finals in the competition.

For Vince his first T20 century – in all he hit 13 fours and three sixes - was compiled with all the authority of a batsman on the back of scoring 125 not out against Warwickshire in the County Championship and 103 against Sussex in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The road to Edgbaston 2015 was a throwback to the last time Hampshire won the trophy in 2010. Vince and Michael Carberry were among the batsmen in that final and here they gave their side an ideal start by putting on 88 by the 10th over.

Worcestershire’s decision to field first may have been understandable when the match began under threatening clouds, but to be successful, they needed to take at least a couple of wickets in the power play.

Instead Vince made his intentions clear when skipping down the pitch and driving the first ball he received from Jack Shantry wide of mid-off.

Carberry took his turn by smashing Saeed Ajmal’s first ball over mid-off and then took three consecutive boundaries off Joe Leach in the fourth over.

Only a brilliant piece of fielding by Ed Barnard, when Vince played the ball to deep cover, eased the pressure on Worcestershire. The England Under-19’s international return was too quick for Carberry, the left hander run out for 42 after hitting five fours from 28 balls.

Yet nothing was lost with this wicket. Adam Wheater kept things ticking along with 32 from 22 balls in a stand of 75. Again, it was Barnard who interrupted the flow, holding a good catch when Wheater drove Joe Leach to deep extra cover.

Sean Ervine, run out backing up, and Owais Shah, caught behind off the last ball, had no time to make an impact but Vince got the hundred he deserved with driving Shantry past extra cover in the 19th over.

When Worcestershire batted, Wood was involved in both wickets. Moen Ali top edged to Wheater and Wood’s throw from cover ran out Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

Daryl Mitchell (20 not out) and Whiteley, with two sixes in an unbeaten 16, tried to get their team moving but could not beat the weather.