View From The Blues: Could there be a double silver lining?
Northants' new website may not be forthcoming on team news and why the beer and food prices are so darn expensive, but it can give you the current wind speed, humidity and pressure reading on match day.
Well, the pressure, sweating and a certain speed of wind anxiety has dropped down a few levels for coach David Capel after the Steelbacks sealed their fourth T20 quarter-final in five years, and a home tie too after Sunday's emphatic win over the Worcestershire Royals at a packed Wantage Road.
Finishing top of our group also secured our meal ticket to the Premier20, of course, the elite domestic Twenty20 competition in 2010.
This should see bigger revenue streams coming into the coffers next year with strong TV coverage, although the money is likely to go out just as quick if we are to fork out for the type of player we will need to maintain that place.
Five points out of the last six was impressive stuff under Nicky Boje, the team recovering from the dip that killed us last year, although the boys now have to go down through the gears again for the return to the first-class stuff.
Twenty20 is all about momentum, and we don't want a repeat of Chelmsford last year, so maybe a warm up match or two could be organised before that game against Hampshire, coach.
There were just the five overs bowled at Taunton last week as a surprise storm took pity on the Steelbacks' losing run, although it wasn't appreciated as the boys were batting first and flying, Rob White and Ian Harvey receiving welcome boosts to their averages at 47 without loss.
But the point gained pushed us back on top of the group, and the confidence returned as we headed to the heart of the storm system in Cardiff.
Fortunately, the weather had moved north and knocked out the northern group in the Twenty20, meaning a win against the always hopeless Glamorgan would mean a guaranteed Q/F place.
Boje won the toss and batted on a pudding, a wicket Monty will enjoy in the Swalec Test match as the sun bakes it up nice.
Before Monty went off with England to Flanders Fields he was, rather surprisingly, the second most economic bowler for the Steelbacks in the T20.
He now just needs dry and hard wickets to recover his 'mojo'; two years of wet British summers have been costly for him.
It looked a 130 pitch at best and at 23 for three that was pushing it, Rob White's form stuttering some.
After Boje steadied things in his new conservative batting role, it was enter Riki Wessels, somehow refreshed by his food poisoning.
He hit a score when we needed it, guiding the boys to an impressive 157 with a measured 66 not out, the type of innings which is required on this year's deliberately slower and lower wickets.
The great Viv Richards once said that there's never a need to rush a one-day innings and always play yourself in as you can catch up very quickly once you are in.
Well done Riki for listening!
Knocks like that win you the trophies.
The kid has come through a lot at the club, and that's the bottle fans respect.
T20 is very random, of course. Middlesex, last year's runners up, losing their first seven matches this campaign.
When Glammy were 67 for one in pursuit, I was having my doubts.
But batting second under lights is almost impossible in T20 and the perfunctory collapse came, Glamorgan soon 84 for six as the slower bowlers did their magic yet again, David Willey taking one for 21, and Boje particularly unplayable with three for 14.
It was exhale time and the Q/Fs secured once again for the Steelboks.
The captain was back, and all was well.
It may have been a dead rubber for the Worcestshire Royals on a likewise pitch, but that doesn't guarantee a home victory in this capricious competition.
Why exactly the counties have gone with flaccid pitches this year in the amazing weather is an odd one, and it was noticeable on Sunday how much the crowd disconnects with the game if the boundaries aren't flying.
That weather though has single-handily saved the competition this year, cranking up the heat another notch in front of a big crowd as the Royals batted first.
The Northants public have been excellent, supporting the five home games with more than 18,000 coming through the gates – but will they support 10 home games next year for two quid more?
The over priced catering certainly isn't helping, and I hear even the players are annoyed with the food quality.
But with no route open for glory for Worcestershire their batting was feeble and disinterested, as they managed just 109.
Andrew Hall was immaculate with the ball to take four for 19 against his old team, the surprise absence of Ian Harvey through injury freeing him up to excel in the areas of the game he's the best at in the division.
Boje and Willey also enjoyed the dead wicket with equally conservative figures.
Harvey's replacement in Stephen Peters piled further misery on his old county as he enjoyed that holding role to see the guys through to the home quarter-final with 61 not out, sharing the winning 66 partnership with young Alex Wakely, who's now being cheered off for those 20-odd scores that he went off to in dead silence to in the first-class games.
I'm rather surprised more teams don't just keep one end going as Peters did and let the other end blast away, this system seems ideal for the Steelboks' batting power.
It was an excellent win and everyone has got their act together this season to get to this lucrative point.
If we can now nick a win in the championship in July then there are two trophies up for grabs for a coach who knows how to get the best out of young uns.
If the big players step up from now until September, Northamptonshire can once again be the club they were in the 1980s for the next few years in the P20.
If we don't it could be the padlock on the gates time as the country dives into depression.
Maybe there would only be room for 12 first class counties in those conditions is the ECB's thinking, and boy have we had a lot of that depression at Wantage Road in the last 10 years...
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Weather for Northampton
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
