Steelbacks bid to bounce back quickly

David Ripley has urged the Steelbacks to dust themselves off quickly as they bid to bounce back against Lancashire Lightning at the County Ground tonight.
Rob Keogh was dismissed for 18 in Tuesday's defeat to Birmingham Bears (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)Rob Keogh was dismissed for 18 in Tuesday's defeat to Birmingham Bears (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)
Rob Keogh was dismissed for 18 in Tuesday's defeat to Birmingham Bears (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

Northants were beaten by two runs in a dramatic NatWest T20 Blast North Group match at home to Birmingham Bears on Tuesday night.

And they now need to respond as they continue their bid to defend their T20 title.

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"It's the best thing that if you lose a game, you get another that comes round very quickly," said head coach Ripley, whose side were unable to chase down the Bears' 172 for nine.

"It's a very tight group, it will be like this and it will ebb and flow with the games we've got left.

"We've got a chance to dust ourselves off and try to put a similar performance in.

"We're not a million miles away.

"It's like the Derby game (which the Steelbacks lost by seven wickets) in that we didn't play badly, we just lost a tight game and that's where we are.

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"We haven't quite hit our best game, perhaps Worcestershire (when the Steelbacks won by seven wickets) was close to that in terms of mastering the powerplay against them.

"But apart from that we've kind of been alright but not quite been where we want to be over the whole 40 overs.

"Hopefully that will be Thursday night."