Northants Steelbacks defy Derbyshire Falcons chase to win Vitality Blast battle

Bopara scored an unbeaten 84 from 46 balls including five sixes as the Steelbacks recovered from 112 for 5 to post an imposing 194 for 6 with Afghanistan spinner Mohammad Ghazanfar taking 2 for 30.

But Patel with 83 not out from 50 balls and Caleb Jewell, 71 from 44, gave the Falcons hope before they came up short at 188 for 4.

Ghazanfar made an instant impact on his Derby debut, striking twice in the second over of the game.

He beat Ricardo Vasconcelos’s big drive and then had Justin Broad lbw sweeping to reduce the Steelbacks to 15 for 2.

It was 24 for 3 when Matt Breetzke pulled Zak Chappell’s first ball to deep midwicket and at the end of the powerplay the Steelbacks had work to do at 37 for 3.

David Willey drove Chappell for six but the Falcons bowled with guile and discipline to restrict the visitors to 65 for 3 at the halfway point.

The Falcons missed three chances to dismiss Willey and that looked like proving costly when 34 came off two overs from Ben Aitchison and Patel.

So there was relief for the hosts when Willey pulled Martin Andersson’s first ball to deep midwicket to end a stand of 75 from 49 balls with Bopara.

But that was short-lived as 56 came from the last three overs with Lewis McManus twice pulling Aitchison over the ropes before Bopara smashed Chappell for three sixes

The Falcons chase began badly with Aneurin Donald miscuing Willey to mid on and David Lloyd cutting the all-rounder to slip.

Jewell drove Ben Sanderson for six but Wayne Madsen, on his 200th appearance at Derby, chipped the fast bowler to mid on to reduce the Falcons to 38 for 3 after six overs.

Jewell and Patel steadied the innings but the Falcons went into the last 10 overs needing 129.

Patel dispatched Lloyd Pope over long on for six and Jewell pulled George Scrimshaw over the ropes before another Patel six brought up the 100 in the 14th over.

The pair took 15 from the next and the Falcons took flight when Jewell twice launched Scrimshaw for six with 18 coming from the 16th over.

Jewell pulled Luke Procter to long on but Patel clubbed his third six to leave the Falcons needing 41 off the last three.

Patel swatted Procter for six to bring that down to 15 off the last six balls but Sanderson bowled a superb last over to close the game out.

Falcons skipper Samit Patel said: "It's a game of fine margins. We did some good stuff, we had a good powerplay and took wickets and then two old boys, Bopara for them and me for us! Ravi showed his class tonight so you've got to hand it to him.

"Execution wise we didn't quite get it right, we gave them 15 or 20 too many in my opinion but that's T20 cricket where bowlers will get hit.

"We knew 194 was always going to be a tough chase, they bowled well up front and then we needed a partnership which thankfully we got but we just didn't get over the line."

Steelbacks all rounder Ravi Bopara said: "It was a brilliant last over (from Ben Sanderson). He's bowled some crucial overs for us up front and down the back end as well. He's brilliant, with his experience, T20 is an old man's game I reckon!

"We thought it was going to be a young men's game but I was young then! But it's proven over the years that the more experienced teams generally get the job done and go longer in most competitions.

"It's still early doors yet, there are 11 games to go. We want to keep up the momentum we've got and it does give us a nice little cushion at the front so we've got to make sure we stay on the ball and keep winning."