Magnificent seven for superb Steelbacks as Essex are thrashed at the County Ground

In the first T20 meeting between the sides for 13 years, Essex will not want to meet again in a hurry as they were thrashed by 130 runs on a sweltering night at a packed out Wantage Road.

Chasing the Steelbacks’ sensational 238 for six, Essex went hard at the target initially but were never in the hunt as they continually lost wickets under scoreboard pressure, and they were eventually bowled out for 108 in the 14th over.

It was another devastating all-round performance with bat and ball by Northants, and they stay clear at the top of the Central & West Group with five matches to play.

The Steelbacks had earlier made a record T20 score at the County Ground, falling just short of their record Blast score of 240 made at Edgbaston last summer.

Master blaster Chris Lynn led the way with a brutal 75 from 37 balls, hitting 11 fours and three sixes, and he shared in an sensational opening partnership of 98 in just 7.3 overs with Ricardo Vasconcelos, who made a classy 44 from 21 balls (10 fours).

Skipper Willey then added a hard-hitting 64 off 29 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, with Justin Broad adding 28 from 21.

With the ball, the Steelbacks proved just too canny for the Eagles, with leg-spinner Calvin Harrison taking a career-best five or nine, and Ben Sanderson bagging a couple.

And all this came about after Essex skipper Simon Harmer had won the toss!

They were probably already regretting that decision by the end of the powerplay as Northants race to a massive 85 for none after six overs!

Lynn produced his usual brutal hitting to hit 47 from 21 balls, while opening partner Vsconcelos played some sumptuous drives as he flew along to 37 from just 15 balls.

Lynn brought up his 50 off 25 balls with a thumping cover drive off leg-spinner Matt Critchley in the seventh over, before Essex got a much-needed breakthrough in the eighth.

Vasconcelos tried to give himself room to hit spinner Simon Harmer through the offside but was bowled for 44, leaving the Steelbacks 98 for one.

Lynn almost perished in the ninth, Simon Snater catching a big hit on the mid-wicket boundary, but had to throw the ball away as he stepped over the rope, and he failed to find a team-mate as Northants ran tow.

Lynn responded in his usual style, by hitting the next two balls for six, and the Steelbacks reached the 10 over stage sitting pretty in 136 for one.

By then, Willey then joined the party hitting two his first eight balls for six, but Lynn’s brilliant innings ended at the start of the 12th over as he perished trying for another big hit to go to for 75 and the Steelbacks were 146 for two.

Essex did then drag things back slightly, but the Steelbacks, and Willey in particular, kept coming up with timely big hits, with the skipper reaching his 50 off 23 balls in the 16th over to take his side to 191 for two.

The 200 came up in the 17th over as Justin Broad, who had struggled early on, suddenly found his timing and dispatched Zum Akhtar for a huge six over deep mid-wicket.

The score had moved to 215 when skipper Willey went for a superb 65, well caught at deep mid-on by Michael Pepper off the bowling of Charlie Bennett.

Broad was next to go, picking out deep square leg off a Snater full toss, and the Steelbacks went into the final over on 234 for four, needing seven to better their previous best T20 score of 240 for six against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last summer.

But they couldn’t get there, losing both Lewis McManus and Saif Zaib, as they closed on 238 for six – still a record T20 score at the County Ground!

Essex needed a good start, but they were 15 for one in the second over when Ben Sanderson bowled Paul Walter, after the big left-hander had hit his first two balls for four.

That brought England man Jordan Cox to the crease, and he looked in great form as he hammered Sanderson for two huge sixes over the Briggs & Forrester Family Stand.

But it was the veteran seamer who would win that war, having Cox caught behind by McManus for 21 off nine balls – although the keeper did have a bit of a juggle before holding on!

That left Essex 47 for two, and they were soon 57 for three, golden arm James Sales, who had Pepper caught by Sanderson at mid-off after a miscue, the Essex batsman having hit the previous two balls for four.

The plus for Essex was they were keeping up with the run-rate as they closed the powerplay on 66 for three, but the first ball of the seventh Charlie Allison hammered George Scrimshaw’s first ball to Nathan McSweeney at deep square leg and it was 66 for four.

That became 72 for five as Luc Benkenstein drove a Saif Zaib delivery to McSweeney on the mid-off boundary, and then Calvin Harrison struck with his first ball to bowl Harmer, and the visitors were in dire straits at 85 for six in the 10th over.

The Eagles batters did keep trying to hit the ball, but they kept getting out, and the innings fell away with a whimper as they suffered a crushing defeat.

Match facts

Steelbacks: Chris Lynn, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Nathan McSweeneym David Willey (c), Justin Broad, Saif Zaib, Calvin Harrison, Lewis McManus (wk), James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw

Essex Eagles: Paul Walter, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox (wk), Charlie Allison, Matt Critchley, Luc Benkenstein, Simon Harmer (c), Simon Fernandes, Shane Snater, Zaman Akhter, Charlie Bennett

Essex won the toss