Northamptonshire Steelbacks maintained their 100% start in this year’s Vitality Blast when they defeated Lancashire Lightning by 24 runs at Emirates Old Trafford to make it five wins in succession.

Having posted 180 for six, in which skipper David Willey top-scored with 37, the visitors produced a determined display in the field, George Scrimshaw leading the way with career-best T20 figures of four for 19 from his four overs, as Lancashire ended on 156 for nine. 

The prized wicket of Liam Livingstone, who was playing his first match after his IPL triumph, was claimed by Lloyd Popee, who finished with two for 27. Having won their first three T20 games, Lancashire have now lost two on the trot, both at home

Both the batsmen to depart in Lancashire’s powerplay were caught at mid-on off James Anderson, whose first three overs cost 21 runs. Matthew Breetzke was pouched by Chris Green for ninnie, and Ricardo Vasconcelos by Ashton Turner for a 15-ball 32.

But the four fours and two sixes hit by Vascocelos reflected the pace of scoring at the other end, nd and the Steelbacks were 57 for two after six overs. Lancashire enjoyed another success two overs later when Justin Broad was caught behind off Jack Blatherwick for, which left the visitors on 70 for three, leaving Willey and Ravi Bopara with the task of rebuilding the innings while maintaining an aggressive approach.    

The experienced duo managed this task with a stand of 60 in seven overs before both were dismissed in the space of six balls. Having made 28, Bopara lofted Anderson to Blatherwick on the cover boundary, and Willey was caught by Jennings at cover off Livingstone for 37.

Undaunted by these reverses, Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus put on 42 in 24 balls before McManus fell to Livingstone in the final over for an enterprising 28. At the same time, the Steelbacks’ final total of 180 for six seemed about par on a good wicket.

Livingstone finished with two for 35 from four overs, ough Wells was also impressive, conceding 23 runs from his four wicketless overs. Anderson took three for 31, but, rather puzzlingly, the England slow left-arm bowler, Tom Hartley, was not required to bowl.

The in-form Ben Sanderson and his captain, Willey, ensured Lancashire’s reply got off to a poor start by dismissing Wells and Jennings inside the first 13 balls of the innings and although Matty Hurst and Livingston hit four sixes in seven balls, Northamptonshire struck another blow in the powerplay when Hurst skied Luke Procter’s first ball to long stop was caught for 17, George Scrimshaw running across from third man to take the catch.

The Australian leg-spinner Pope took the vital wicket of Livingstone in the next over when the IPL winner with Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled him straight to Vasconcelos at midwicket and departed for 18.

Pope took his second wicket when he had Ashton Turner caught down the leg side by McManus for 23, and with seven overs left to be bowled, Lancashire needed another 76 runs to win. That task immediately became harder when Green skied Scrimshaw to Willey on 15.

Michael Jones tried to salvage the gam, but he fell to Scrimshaw for 32 when he was caught by Breetz, who took three catches in the innings and also dropped two. With the outcome of the game all but certain, the final few overs of the match were anti-climactic.