Six out of six for the Steelbacks as stunning fightback with the ball bewilders Bears

The visitors looked to be easing to victory as they eased to 132 for three after 15 overs, needing 55 to win from the final five overs with wickets in hand and England man Dan Mousley in imperious form.

But skipper David Willey made the crucial breakthrough, with Mousley edging him behind to go for 68 from 40 balls, and the Bears imploded.

They wilted under the pressure of some excellent late innings bowling from George Scrimshaw, who finished with two for 25, and Ben Sanderson, who claimed three wickets in a superb penultimate over, as the Bears came up short on 174 for eight.

It was an impressive comeback performance as the Steelbacks made it six wins in a row, the club’s best ever start to a T20 campaign.

The Steelbacks total had been built around half-centuries from Justin Broad, who made 60 from 35 balls, and 53 from 36 balls from Matt Breetzke, and they now go into Friday night’s home date with Durham looking to make it a magnificent seven.

After being asked to bat on a green-tinged wicket, Steelbacks started carefully until Breetzke found his touch and timing in the third over, hitting Garton for two fours and a huge pulled six into a garden on Clarke Road to get the innings going.

But the momentum was checked as Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali bowled Ricardo Vasconcelos with his second ball and the Steelbacks were 24 for one.

Breetzke continued to find his range, hitting two further sixes behind square-leg to help the Steelbacks to 52 for one at the end of the six over powerplay.

That saw the introduction of spin and the run-rate slowed for a couple of overs until Breetzke took a liking to Moeen Ali, hitting him for a six and a four off successive deliveries to bring up his 50 from 35 balls - the South African's first at the County Ground.

But it was the former England spinner who had the last laugh a ball later as Breetzke skied one going got another big hit and was caught by Kai Smith for 53 to leave Northants 72 for two in the ninth.

They were 81 for two at the halfway point, and well set for a sizeable total with skipper Willey well set alongside new man Justin Broad.

Boundaries were proving hard to come by, but the Steelbacks were batting sensibly accumulating well with ones and twos, before Broad brought the 100 up with the first four in more than three overs off Moeen to bring the 100 up in the 13th.

Willey then clubbed his former England team-mate for six as the Steelbacks stepped on the gas, with Broad hitting three fours in three balls off Jake Lintott in the next over to bring up the 50 partnership in just 29 balls and the Steelbacks were 125 for two going into the last six.

Left-arm seamer Garton returned to the attack and made the breakthrough, Lintott holding on to an excellent catch on the square-leg boundary to see the end of Willey for 34 from 29 balls.

That wicket slowed the Steelbacks' progress as they entered the final three overs on 145 for three, and needing a big finish.

They made a decent fist of it, hitting 39 runs from the 18 balls thanks to some big hits from Broad and Saif Zaib, but the loss of Broad and Lewis McManus to the bowling of Hasan Ali in the final over ensured they had to settle for what looked a competitive 184 for six.

Bears lost skipper Alex Davies in the third over, top-edging a Willey delivery to Scrimshaw running back towards the fine-leg boundary, and he took a brilliant catch, diving to take the ball dropping over his shoulder to leave the visitors 18 for one.

That brought Mousley to the crease and he looked in great nick, hitting fours all around the ground to race to 25 from 14 balls and see the Bears to 55 for one at the end of the powerplay.

Left-hander Mousley was treating the Steelbacks bowlers with disdain while Tom Latham was also looking good, but he perished in the 10th over, clipping Scrimshaw to Zaib on the square-leg boundary to go for 34 from 23 balls and the Bears were 94 for two.

Mousley powered on and brought up his 50 from just 28 balls and the Bears looked to be in total control, but they lost another wicket to find themselves 102 for three in the 12th over, Sam Hain gloving behind a lively delivery from Scrimshaw.

The runs did start to dry up, mainly thanks to Scrimshaw, but the Bears went into the last six overs needing just 66 to win, and the Steelbacks needed wickets urgently, and in particular they needed to dismiss Mousley - and skipper Willey did just that!

Mousley was tempted into going for a pull off a short ball, but gloved behind to McManus to go for 68 from 42 balls and the Bears were 139 for four.

Moeen was still there, but the Steelbacks claimed another wicket in the 17th over, Willey taking a steepling catch off the bowling of Broad to dismiss Ed Barnard and leave the Bears 151 for five.

The game was now in the balance, with the Bears’ hopes resting on Moeen, but he was one of Sanderson’s three victims in the 19th over, going for 31 off 24 balls, and it was the Steelbacks who were celebrating yet another win.