Skipper Willey steers Steelbacks to superb win and a second successive Finals Day

Darren Lehmann's side once again booked their place in the Edgbaston shootout this Saturday with an eight-wicket win over Gloucestershire at the cinch County Ground on Wednesday night.

A dominant bowling performance saw the visitors bowled out for 152, with Ben Sanderson finishing with four for 20.

The Steelbacks then took their time in chasing things down, but won it in the 18th over, to send their supporters home happy.

Skipper David Willey was there at end on a perfectly-paced 47 not out from 33 balls, while Ricardo Vasconcelos earlier made 42 from 30 deliveries.

The ground was far from full due to the early 5pm start and clash with England's World Cup clash with Argentina, but it was still a lively atmosphere at Wantage Road, and those in the ground were able to celebrate a superb victory.

Earlier Sanderson had shone with the ball, with Calvin Harrison taking two for 23 as Gloucestershire were bowled out off the final ball of their 20 overs.

They had recovered from 20 for three to 103 for three in the 12th over thanks to an excellent 68 from 38 balls from Ben Charlesworth, but their innings fell away again in the final overs.

Sanderson’s haul sees him overtake David Willey at the top of the all-time Steelbacks T20 wicket-taking charts, moving on to 137, with Willey on 135.

The only concern for the Steelbacks will be a foot injury suffered by star batter Chris Lynn, who had to retire hurt on 18 in the seventh over, but coach Lehmann is confident he will be okay for the weekend.

The Steelbacks made one change to the team that lost to the Bears on Sunday, with leading wicket-taker James Sales returning in place of Luke Procter.

Gloucestershire won the toss, but got off to a disastrous start as key man Dawid Malan was out for a second ball duck in the first over, clipping Willey to deep square-leg where Nathan McSweeney took the catch and the visitors were two for one.

They were five for two midway through the second over, with Graeme van Buuren miscuing a Ben Sanderson delivery to Willey at mid-on, and the skipper made no mistake.

Australian opener D’Arcy Short led the counter-attack, hitting three fours in quick succession, but was then played on and was bowled by Sanderson and Gloucestershire were 20 for three and in trouble.

With a parched outfield, anything firmly hit getting past or over the the infield in the powerplay was racing to the boundary, and in the fifth over Charlesworth helped himself to four fours and a huge six off Willey to get the visitors’ innings moving at 46 for three.

A couple of quiet overs followed before left-hander Charlesworth again got stuck in, this time taking a liking to George Scrimshaw as he clubbed two huge sixes over square-leg – the second into the Clarke Road gardens – to lift Gloucestershire to 72 for three off eight.

The visitors had progessed to 86 for three at the halfway point, recovering superbly from their shocking start, and Charlesworth brought up his 50 from just 26 balls in the 12th swotting a legside delivery from Sales for four.

The Steelbacks needed a breakthrough and got one when Jack Taylor gloved Sales down the legside to Lewis McManus to go for 22 off 24 and it was 103 for four.

Gloucester then lost a fifth wicket at 121 when, after a terrible mix-up and both players ending up at the same end, Kamran Dhariwal was run out thanks to some smart work by Ricardo Vasconcelos.

It was soon 124 for six as Scrimshaw claimed the wicket of new batter Miles Hammond, who was bowled backing away for a duck.

Charlesworth was still powering away and was his side’s main hope, but he went in the first over of the 17th, slicing a Calvin Harrison delivery to Saif Zaib at short third-man for an excellent 68 from 38 balls.

Duan Jansen was leg before first ball the next delivery to go for a golden duck after being pinned lbw, and Gloucestershire had slumped from 103 for three to 126 for eight.

James Bracey (17no) batted well to try and lift his side to a respectable total, and although Matt Taylor and Marchant de Lange both played in to Sanderson in the final over the visitors closed on what looked a modest 152 all out.

The Steelbacks didn’t take any risks at the start of their reply, and by the end of the powerplay had eased to 48 without loss, with Vasconcelos playing some lovely, crisp shots.

The left-hander was the dominant partner in the stand, making 29 from 17 balls.

Lynn had been quiet by his standards, and with the score on 49 for none he had to retire hurt after making 18 from 20 balls having been hit on the toe by a Jansen yorker.

That brought fellow Aussie McSweeney to the crease, and he and Vasconcelos had taken the Steelbacks to 78 in the 10th over before the latter gave up his wicket.

The left-hander drove loosely at a de Lange delivery and hit the ball straight to Charlesworth at mid-off to go for 42 from 30 balls, having hit six fours.

Willey was the new man in, and the Steelbacks continued to bide their time, rarely taking a big shot out of the locker as they reached the end of the 12th over on 90 for one, needing 63 to win from eight overs.

The visitors made a much-needed breakthrough in the 15th over as McSweeney was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Short for 28 to leave the Steelbacks 113 for two, still 40 runs short of winning.

At this point, Willey upped the tempo, and although fours were proving scarce, the running between the wickets was excellent.

Lewis McManus eased the pressure with a six and four from his first two balls faced in the 17th over, and from then on it was a cruise for Northants as they booked theirr place at Finals Day.

Teams

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

Gloucestershire: D'Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Miles Hammond, Ben Charlesworth, Jack Taylor (c), Kamran Dhariwal, James Bracey (wk), Graeme van Buuren, Duan Jansen, Matt Taylor, Marchant de Lange

Gloucestershire won the toss