Steelbacks targeting third straight win as they host fellow 100 per centers Gloucestershire

Something has to give at Wantage Road, as both sides go into the game having won their opening two matches in the Central & West Group, and head coach Darren Lehmann has told his players they have 'back up' their opening weekend success.

The Steelbacks edged Glamorgan by three runs in a thriller last Friday before hammering Worcestershire Rapids by 100 runs on Sunday in what Lehmann described as an 'exceptional all-round performance'.

Gloucestershire also claimed two wins from two, seeing off Warwickshire Bears in a low-scoring game on Friday and then winning off the final ball at Glamorgan on Sunday.

So both sides will be confident going into Friday's showdown, and Lehmann told Steelbacks TV: "We need to back up Sunday's win against Gloucestershire, who are also undefeated.

"There are only 12 games this season so you have to get ahead of the curve as early as you can, so this is another big weekend.

"We have the Friday night game which will be a packed house when hopefully we will put on another good performance, and then we have the Sunday match at Warwickshire."

James Sales is once again set to feature for Northants as he has not been selected by England Lions for their four-day clash with South Africa A.

The one selection headache for Lehmann may centre around Saif Zaib, who was brought into the team at Worcestershire on Sunday in place of Nathan McSweeney, and was dismissed for a first-ball duck.

After a stellar 2025, Zaib is currently struggling for form, but has been a key man in the Steelbacks' T20 team for many seasons now, and the head coach may well keep faith in him.

Gloucestershire have also named an unchanged squad, and their attack will be led by left-arm fast bowler Duan Jansen - twin of South Africa international Marco - who has claimed seven wickets in the west country side's opening two matches.

They also have Australian international batter D'Arcy Short in their ranks, although their main man with the bat so far in the Blast has been Miles Hammond, who made 56 from just 31 balls in the win at Cardiff.

Another dangerman will be seamer Marchant de Lange, who is a proven T20 performer.

Friday’s match will be the first time Gloucestershire have travelled to the County Ground for a T20 match since the Covid-hit summer of 2020.

Steelbacks squad v Gloucestershire: David Willey (c), George Bartlett, Justin Broad, Calvin Harrison, Louis Kimber, Chris Lynn, Lewis McManus (wk), Nathan McSweeney, Luke Procter, James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Raphy Weatherall, Saif Zaib

Gloucestershire squad v Northants: Jack Taylor (C), Daaryoush Ahmed, Ben Charlesworth, James Bracey, Kamran Dhariwal, Miles Hammond, Duan Jansen, Marchant de Lange, Craig Miles, Ollie Price, Joe Phillips, Matt Taylor, D'Arcy Short, Graeme van Buuren