Head coach Sadler offers no excuses as Steelbacks suffer Somerset beating

The Steelbacks fell to their fifth defeat in six Group A matches after they were bowled out for just 155 in 37.3 overs having won the toss, with a young and inexperienced Somerset side knocking the runs off inside 25 overs.

The emphatic defeat ended Northants' slim chances of a top three finish and a place in the knockout stages of the competition, and Sadler was offering no excuses.

Of the five defeats suffered in the one Day Cup so far, this was the most galling, especially as it was against a Somerset side missing more than half of its regular first team due to call-ups to The Hundred.

The Steelbacks by comparison have just one player away in David Willey.

“We just didn't bat well enough," accepted Sadler. "It's way below what we expect to be 150 all out inside 40 overs, you don't win games of cricket from there.

"The first half let us down, and as a team, 150-odd all out is just nowhere near really.

"It looked like the pitch flattened out a little bit, bit of sunshine came out. But you’re just not winning games from there."

The only batter to show any form was Saif Zaib who continued his excellent season with 57 from 69 balls, but his dismissal saw the County collapse, losing their final four wickets for just seven runs.

"Saif played nicely and a couple of partnerships started, but as soon as we just started to get in front of the game, we’d lose a wicket," said Sadler.

"So, I think it was a mixture of some soft dismissals, a few skills that were slightly off, and a couple of bits of thinking that let us down. But as a group, that's way below what we expect."

It is the fourth time in six matches the Steelbacks have been bowled out inside their 50 overs, and lower order collapses have been something of a theme, with Sadler saying: "There's bit of experience and a bit of youth.

"You can accept it sometimes, but when it's as consistent as what it is, it's almost like we just give up a little bit. So, a poor day all round.

"There's not much I can say, I can't really defend that."

The defeat is a real morale-sapper for Northants, with skipper Lewis McManus having spoken prior to the match about building momentum following Sunday's 130-run win over Worcestershire.

And Sadler admits his team's inconsistency in the One Day Cup campaign is a frustration.

"We beat Worcester and we played brilliantly," said the head coach. "I thought the lads really, really equipped themselves great, and we played a great game from start to finish in all disciplines.

"And again, you drive home that night and you think, it’s such a shame, because the first four games that we played in this comp, we should have won three of them, and potentially could have won all four.

"So, it's the inconsistency that lets us down, and that's not good enough. That's why we're in the position that we're in. So, it's very, very frustrating."

Northants have two dead rubbers to round off their 50-over season, starting with Sunday's home date with Lancashire (start 11am) in what is a battle for the Group A wooden spoon.

The Red Rose are another team devastated by Hundred call-ups, and are the only team below Northants in the standings, having failed to win any of their five matches to date.

The Steelbacks then round off the tournament with a trip to Canterbury to play Kent next Wednesday.

Quotes courtesy of Jeremy Blackmore