Bowling options key for skipper Willey as Steelbacks maintain sensational Blast start

Northants are flying so far and made it six wins out of six to go eight points clear at the top of the North Group, but they had to do it the hard way with a sensational fightback bowling performance securing a win that had looked unlikely for much of the Bears innings.

Chasing 185 to win, the visitors looked in absolute control as they entered the final five overs needing just 53 for victory with seven wickets in hand, and internationals Dan Mousley and Moeen Ali well set at the crease.

But Willey's dismissal of England man Mousley for a classy 68 from 42 deliveries set the ball rolling on a remarkable comeback from the Steelbacks, as the Bears folded under the pressure to lose five wickets for 35 runs and slide to defeat.

George Scrimshaw, who bagged the big wickets of Tom Latham and Sam Hain in his two for 25, Willey (2-27) and Ben Sanderson all played a major part in turning the screw.

Sanderson had endured a tough opening spell with his three overs costsing 31 runs, but he hit back to claim three for two in a remarkable 19th over - including Moeen for 31 - to all but end the contest, as it left Bears needing 24 from the final six balls bowled by Luke Procter.

Willey marshalled his troops well in those closing overs, as even his decision to give Justin Broad his first bowl of the competition paid off as the all-rounder had Ed Barnard caught by the skipper on the boundary.

But asked if he had everything planned out ahead of those final overs, Willey admitted: "No, not really. I was making it up as I went along to be fair.

"The combinations we have got at the death, with Proccy and Sando, it allows me to use a couple of overs through the middle if need be, where I feel like we maybe we need to make something happen and try and call on my experience there and get a couple of tight overs.

"To get Mousley out was a key moment, and Sando has been excellent at the death, as well as in the powerplay, so for him to come in and only go for single figures in that over was massive and it made Proccy's job pretty comfortable at the end.

"The second half, with Scrim coming in and going about his business, getting a couple of important wickets at key moments, and then putting squeeze on as well, it was really pleasing."

What was also pleasing was the Steelbacks totalling a challenging 184 for six after being asked to bat on a green-tinged surface, with Broad and Matt Breetzke both hitting half-centuries.

But Willey admitted he wasn't 100 per cent certain it would be enough.

"To be put in on that pitch, we weren't too sure what a good score was going to be," admitted the skipper.

"We ticked away nicely and I came off going 'I think it's a good score, but I'm not sure'.

"We know the Bears are a very strong batting side, we knew we were going to have to bowl well and we probably weren't at our best in patches.

"But there were a couple of good catches, and we were always only two overs away or a couple of wickets away from that run-rate going up and being right back in the game.

"So all in all, to come back from when they needed nines with two down, to get across the line is a really good win and we can take a lot of confidence from that."

The Steelbacks are quickly back in action on Friday night when they host Durham, who were 16-run winners over Derbyshire Falcons on Wednesday to make it two wins from four matches.

They are fifth in the table, 16 points adrift of the County but have played two games fewer.