Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Boyd Rankin comes into the attack and troubles the batsmen with a bit of extra pace.

Josh Cobb slices him away, but the ball falls between fielders.

He then clips him neatly off his pads for four which beats the diving Rikki Clarke.

Northants are almost halfway there.

Image source, Getty Images

Jeetan Patel may be the man who can inspire Birmingham Bears, but he's greeted by Richard Levi reverse sweeping him for four.

Levi has raced to 36 from 22 balls and Northants need less than six an over from here.

A walk in the park surely?

Adam Williams
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

"Already there's a sense of resignation among the locals in the crowd as Northants look well set to chase down Birmingham's modest target.

"Richard Levi has set about ticking the scoreboard over with an array of strokes that have given his side just the platform they'd have wanted.

"An early exit here for the hosts could lead to a few empty seats in the crowd for the later games. Not even the draw of the Mascot Derby will keep them here."

Birmingham Bears need something special here.

After conceding a six from the second ball of the over, Oliver Hannon-Dalby comes back well.

But Northants are cruising this.

Richard Levi smashes a sixpublished at 5.2 overs

5.2 overs

Northants 41-1 (Levi 26, Cobb 1) Target 132

That is brute force from the big man.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby drops just short and he pummels him over mid-wicket for a maximum.

That's a much better over from Chris Woakes.

The England all-rounder gives the batsmen no width. He fires one in at Richard Levi's pads, but he's saved by an inside edge.

Nice tight over for Birmingham Bears with just three coming from it.

Even though David Willey has gone, Richard Levi is still there and looking dangerous.

He pulls Oliver Hannon-Dalby away with just one hand to the square leg boundary.

Northants are still well on course here.

That's a much better over from Rikki Clarke.

He mixes up his pace well, bowling a few slower balls, which means the batsmen can't find any sort of timing.

Just three came from it. Exactly what Birmingham Bears needed.

Chris Woakes takes the new ball at the other end and almost has a wicket with his second ball.

David Willey mistimes a pull shot, but it just lands over the head of Oliver Hannon-Dalby at square leg.

To rub salt into the wound he then swats Woakes away to the mid-wicket boundary.

Richard Levi finishes things off with a square cut for four. Another expensive over.

Well I said he was miserly, but not quite so much in his first over.

Rikki Clarke finds his line and length straight away and goes for just two off his first four balls.

But Richard Levi then drives him beautifully through the covers before edging him down to the boundary.

Northants are up and running. 

Well, we weren't waiting long to see Mr Clarke. The players are back out there and he'll take the new ball.

Big South African Richard Levi to face.

Although he struggled with the bat today, Rikki Clarke will be hoping he can shine with the ball.

The 33-year-old has been the most economical bowler in the competition (apart from a few who have only bowled an over or two for all those statisticians out there!)

The Bears will need all his experience if they are to reach their second successive final.

They will be defending just 131 when the chase gets under way shortly.

So, at halfway it would appear that Northants are warm favourites to reach this evening's final. 

But Birmingham will feel they're not out of it yet after successfully defending 137 against Lancashire at Old Trafford earlier this summer.

Who are you backing? Let us know using #bbccricket on Twitter.