Skipper Willey hammers 34-ball 79 as Steelbacks thrash Notts Outlaws in the Blast

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.

Steelbacks 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 95-run 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 three for 12 in three overs, with 6ft 7ins pace bowler George Scrimshaw claiming three for 16 from 14 balls.

Asked to bat first, the Outlaws lost Alex Hales in the second over, caught behind after making room to cut teenage pace bowler Raphy Weatherall, but raced to 63 for one in the opening six nonetheless, Clarke hammering two sixes and Haynes another amid a rush of boundaries.

The second-wicket pair had added 95 by the end of the 10th over before they were stopped in their tracks by left-arm spinner Zaib - the seventh bowler used by Willey - as Clarke was caught by off-side sweeper Ricardo Vasconcelos for 48 off 30 balls.

A brilliant piece of fielding by Willey from mid-off then ran out Will Young and when Tom Moores holed out to long on for nine the Outlaws had stumbled from 104 for one to 117 for four in three overs, with the scoring rate being dragged back for good measure by the slower bowlers.

The Northants fightback continued with Zaib striking twice in his second over as Haynes was caught at wide long on and Matt Montgomery was bowled sweeping.

Willey re-entered the attack to bowl Calvin Harrison off an inside edge before the unravelling continued thanks to two in two by George Scrimshaw as Lyndon James was out via a steepling catch and Dillon Pennington leg before.

Scrimshaw wrapped things up by having fomer Northants man Olly Stone caught behind as the Outlaws failed even to bat out the full 20 overs.

The early wicket of Vasconcelos, caught at slip as a scoop went badly wrong, lifted home spirits momentarily but they had fallen flat by the end of the powerplay, with the Steelbacks ahead at 68 for one after the sixth over saw Willey hammer his one-time Steelbacks team-mate Stone for 4-4-6-4-4-1, before going 6-2-4 off leg-spinner Harrison’s first three deliveries to complete a 21-ball 50.

Willey’s explosive innings continued with four more huge sixes off the first four balls of Harrison’s second over. The left-hander clearly had it in mind to go for a full set but his luck ran out next ball, which he mistimed just enough for it to drop into the hands of Lyndon James at long off.

Nonetheless, with opener Breetzke, who faced only 20 balls in the opening 10 overs, at last getting a look-in to clear the rope off Stone, the Steelbacks reached the halfway point needing just 35 more for victory.

As it was, it took them only another 20 balls to get the job done, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara picking up two more maximums each before the former lofted Montgomery’s off-spin through long off for the winning boundary, completing his maiden Outlaws half-century in the process.

Steelbacks head coach John Sadler was delighted with the performance and result.

“It is one hell of a victory that, to be honest,” said Sadler.

"I thought we were superb from start to finish. The most pleasing part was that we were under pressure at the halfway stage in the first innings but we held our nerve.

“I thought Dave Willey captained brilliantly, making a couple of really shrewd bowling changes, including bringing Saif Zaib into the attack.

“Saif bowled magnificently, changing the course of the game, and Ravi was Bopara outstanding in that period, with his experience and skill. We have been working with Saif with a view to getting him up to speed for when Graeme White finishes and he is in that place now.

"He has worked really hard on his bowling and it is fantastic to see him get the rewards.

“And then when we batted, I thought the way that Matthew Breetzke and Willey played was outstanding. They just needed a little look at the pitch but when they got in and got going it was good to watch.

“Dave Willey is a matchwinner. I thought he was going to get six sixes in an over there and I’ve no problem with him going for it. He is a better player when he plays with full commitment. If you’ve got a feel for it and a bowler comes on that you like the look of, then keep going.

“We know how good he is and that when he gets in he hits the ball as clean and with as much power as anyone else in world cricket, and he’s shown that .”