WATCH: Shahid Afridi goes all 'boom boom' to slam 42-ball hundred in NatWest T20 Blast

Courtesy: Twitter (@NatWestT20Blast)

New Delhi: Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi notched up his maiden T20 hundred of just 42 balls to guide Hampshire into the semi finals of the NatWest T20 Blast, defeating Derbyshire by 101 runs. 

The Pakistan all-rounder was promoted up the order, opening the batting for his side and he certainly lived up to the billing, smashing seven sixes in his 101.

After Afridi, James Vince, who made 55 from 36 deliveries, was the top scorer as Hampshire piled up 249-8 at Derby.

With a mountain of runs to climb, Derbyshire came out all guns blazing but were all out for just 148, with Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott taking three wickets each to help their side claim a huge 101-run victory.

Two-time winners Hampshire will be in their seventh Finals Day in the last eight years when they take to the Edgbaston ground on September 2. Derbyshire, on the other hand, have never made it beyond the last eight.

Hampshire promoted Afridi to opener against the county he played for in 2003 and he swept and drove four boundaries from Wayne Madsen`s first over before Calvin Dickinson took two fours from Hardus Viljoen.

Afridi`s previous high score in the competition this season was 18 but he pulled Ben Cotton for six before driving him over the top of the three-storey media centre.

He reached his fifty off only 20 balls with a top-edged six but after driving Imran Tahir for another huge six, he was dropped on 65 at long-on by Madsen.

Afridi rolled back years to display his traditional unothodox hitting which included some real powerful hits, as several balls sailed out of the County Ground.

Here are a few of those hits:

Anyone fancy watching some of @SAfridiOfficial's monster sixes?!

Nah, didn't think so #BoomBoom #Blast17 pic.twitter.com/Uf5hItEzn1

— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) August 22, 2017

Here's the moment Afridi reached his maiden T20 century:

A maiden #T20  for @SAfridiOfficial, off just 42 balls!

Epic. Incredible. Brutal. Sublime. Sizzling. Brilliant. BOOM BOOM! pic.twitter.com/auqII1cbsN

— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) August 22, 2017

Brief Scores:

Hampshire 249-8 (20 overs): Afridi 101, Vince 55; Critchley 3-32

Derbyshire 148 (19.5 overs): Cotton 30*; Abbott 3-25, Dawson 3-28