TEAM NEWS
Essex Men: Paul Walter, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox (WK), Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Matt Critchley, , Simon Harmer (C), Simon Fernandes, Shane Snater, Zum Akhter, Charlie Bennett.
Northants Steelbacks Men: Chris Lynn, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Nathan McSweeney, David Willey (C), Justin Broad, Saif Zaib, Calvin Harrison, Lewis McManus (WK), James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw
MATCH DETAILS
Umpires: Naeem Ashraf & James Middlebrook
Match Referee: Wayne Noon
Toss: Essex won toss and elected to bowl
Result: Northants Steelbacks won by 130 runs
MATCH REACTION: CHRIS SILVERWOOD
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
MATCH REPORT
Chris Lynn led the way with a blistering 75 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks posted 238 for six against Essex to set up a resounding 130-run victory in the Vitality Blast at the cinch County Ground, Northampton.
The monumental total was Northamptonshire’s second highest T20 total ever, and their highest at home and came after a brutal display of hitting between Lynn and fellow opener Ricardo Vasconcelos (44) in the powerplay. The pair crunched 85 off the first six overs, another record for the Steelbacks.
Skipper David Willey also hit a lightning 65 on the day he became Northamptonshire’s most capped T20 player. Amid the boundary onslaught, Essex conceded the most runs scored against them in T20 cricket, beating the 236 for three made by Kent in 2021. There were two wickets apiece for Zaman Akhter and Simon Harmer.
In the chase leg-spinner Calvin Harrison took remarkable career-best figures of 5 for 9, while Ben Sanderson claimed two for 25 as Essex were eventually bowled out for 108. Released from the England squad, Jordan Cox hit 21 while Michael Pepper top-scored with 23 amid mounting scoreboard pressure.
Northamptonshire attacked from the get-go, Vasconcelos taking four consecutive boundaries off Shane Snater’s opening over. Lynn offered a life on 19, only for Snater to shell a sharp return catch.
The Steelbacks pair continued to flay an often-wayward Essex attack, chancing their arm at times, but to devastating effect.
Essex captain Harmer conceded four boundaries in his first over with Vasconcelos depositing him over long-on but got revenge by bowling Vasconcelos as he advanced down the wicket.
Lynn smashed two enormous consecutive sixes over the food trucks at deep midwicket off Matt Critchley, while Willey dispatched Luc Benkenstein into the hospitality boxes in the Lynn Wilson Centre.
The run rate slowed slightly after Lynn departed, caught at deep midwicket off Harmer, but Willey hit a flat six over deep cover off Critchley followed by a straight six off Harmer to up the pace.
He perished hitting a Charlie Bennett slower ball down the ground, Michael Pepper taking a good tumbling catch.
Justin Broad swung Akhter for a huge legside six, while Saif Zaib hooked Charlie Bennett for six more.
Broad, Zaib and Lewis McManus fell as Northamptonshire attacked the closing overs, but the damage was done.
Paul Walter started positively with three boundaries before Sanderson deceived him with a slower delivery. Cox pulled Sanderson for two sixes before he edged behind, McManus taking a juggling catch.
Pepper then struck James Sales over long-on for six but chipped straight to Sanderson at mid-off.
Essex reached 66 for three at the end of the powerplay but next ball Charlie Allison pulled George Scrimshaw straight to deep backward square.
Wickets continued to fall, Benkenstein picking out deep extra cover off Zaib who bowled a tidy spell, giving nothing away.
Critchley struck a few lusty blows but was bowled by Harrison’s first delivery. In his next over, Harrison picked up two wickets in two balls when he had Harmer was caught at backward point and Snater stumped.
Next over, Harrison struck again trapping Akhter lbw and bowling Bennett with consecutive deliveries.
