Head coach Sadler admits Steelbacks fell short with the bat in Falcons Blast reverse

Hoping to build on their impressive wins over Notts and Yorkshire to keep alive their hopes of a top four finish in the Vitaltity Blast North Group, Northants were beaten with five balls to spare.

Although not yet mathematically impossible, the defeat all but ends the Steelbacks' hopes of qualifying for the last eight as they succumbed to a fifth home defeat in seven matches.

After opting to bat first, the County laid a decent foundation as they reached 96 for three in the 13th over, but things fell away badly and the innings ended on 156 for eight, which looked below par.

The reply started well for Steelbacks as Falcons lost early wickets to sit 27 for two after five overs, but they patiently rebuilt their innings and then accelerated perfectly to ease to victory in the final over.

Harry Came top-scored with 43 from 40 balls, but it was the quickfire innings’ of Leus du Plooy, who hit 40 not out from 23 balls, and Wayne Madsen, 35 from 24, that proved to be the difference.

It was a decent performance with the ball and in the field, but Derbyshire knew they didn't need to take any risks to get themselves over the line due to the fact the County didn't have enough runs in the bank.

"We have just said in the dressing room, we can all handle that," said Sadler.

"We can handle losing, it is part of the game, and sometimes it is about how you lose like we said earlier in the tournament.

"I thought we gave it everything tonight, I thought we threw our bodies around, I thought we fielded well, the attitude was superb, we were a team and we were a unit.

"So I am not too worried about tonight, fair play to Derbyshire, I thought they chased it down well and we were probably 15 runs too short and there are a couple of areas of our game we need to improve on thinking towards the future.

"Where the death hitting the last couple of games has really got us up and beyond that par score, we didn't quite get that tonight which was probably the difference.

"Then we had a lot of dots in that second and third phase, in that middle, and we were just 15 short, but i can't fault the lads. I am proud of them."

The Steelbacks are back in Blast action on Friday at Leicestershire Foxes, before they host Kent in the LV= Insurance County Championship on Sunday morning (11am).

The final Blast fixture is at Lancashire Lightning on Sunday, July 2.