May 31, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Notts Outlaws 154
Northants Steelbacks 157-2
Northants won by 8 wickets
Toss: Northants, who elected to field
DAVID WILLEY smashed seven sixes and seven fours in a 34-ball 79 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks made it two from two with a crushing win over Notts Outlaws.
After bowling the Outlaws out for 154, the Steelbacks knocked off their target with a commanding 40 balls to spare, South African opener Matthew Breetzke hitting the winning boundary in a 30-ball unbeaten 51. Northamptonshire had never won at Trent Bridge in seven previous visits in the shortest format.
The Outlaws had appeared set for a substantial score after building on a 63-run powerplay to be 104 for one after 10 overs, new skipper Joe Clarke and Outlaws debutant Jack Haynes having shared a 95run partnership from 58 balls.
But Clarke fell for 48 and Haynes for 51 and the home side lost their last nine wickets for 50 in 9.2 overs.
Left-arm spinner Saif Zaib – only an occasional bowler in this format – took a T20 career-best 3-12 in three overs, with 6ft 7ins pace bowler George Scrimshaw claiming 3-16 from 14 balls.
Zaib, the seventh bowler used by David Willey, had Clarke caught by off-side sweeper Ricardo Vasconcelos for 48 off 30 balls and a brilliant piece of fielding by Willey from mid-off then ran out Will Young and when Tom Moores holed out to long on
