Vasconcelos in form as he gets ready for the big Vitality Blast-off!

​John Sadler's side host Derbyshire Falcons at the County Ground (start 6.30pm) in the first of their 14 North Group matches.

It's the beginning of a hectic few days for the Steelbacks, who travel to Trent Bridge to face Notts Outlaws on Friday night (May 31), and then host Yorkshire Vikings on Sunday (June 2).

Overseas signings Sikandar Raza and Matthew Breetzke are both in line to make their debuts for the club, as is veteran campaigner Ravi Bopara who joined the club in March after leaving Sussex Sharks.

Seam bowler George Scrimshaw is also set to make his white ball debut for the Steelbacks, having played a couple of four-day games.

If he does play, he will be up against his former Derbyshire team-mates.

The team will again be skippered by David Willey, who will go into the tournament fresh and off the back of a couple of months away from competitive action after he opted to miss the Indian Premier League.

He and Bopara have played a handful of T20 matches for the second team to try and get their eye in.

Northants warmed up for the Blast with a draw against Yorkshire in their latest Vitality County Championship Division Two encounter at Wantage Road on Monday.

Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a brilliant 129 not out from 183 balls to steer Northants to the draw on the final day, with the County, who had been set 361 to win the match, at one stage looking like they would chase it down.

That was mainly down to Vasconcelos, who was in one-day mode at the start of his innings, but in the end wickets fell, and Northants had to rein it in, closing on 250 for eight.

The left-handed opener and his Northants team-mates now turn their attentions to the shorter format cricket and the white ball, and Vasconcelos can't wait, saying: “I’m looking forward to the Blast.

"I don't think the end there (playing out for the draw against Yorkshire) was quite the practice I was looking for! But it's always fun, Blast time.

"I think we've got a really good squad.

"We've got a few guys that are fresh coming in, that haven't been part of the red ball team, but they're going to come in with a lot of experience and a lot of energy.

"We're going to give it our best shot and try to win.”

Northants have failed to reach the knockout stages for the past three seasons, and will be aiming to put that right this summer.

They will also be looking to claim a first win of the season as they have yet to win in the Championship this season, having drawn six of their seven matches so far.

Northants have named a 14-man squad for Thursday night’s encounter.

Falcons have namwed a 15-man squad, with new T20 skipper Samit Patel set to lead out a new-look Falcons side.

The likes of Pat Brown, Blair Tickner and Daryn Dupavillon all in line to make their T20 debuts for the club, while fellow new signings, Ross Whiteley and Aneurin Donald could also play.

Steelbacks squad v Derbyshire Falcons: David Willey (c); George Bartlett; Ravi Bopara; Matthew Breetzke; Justin Broad, Freddie Heldreich; Rob Keogh; Lewis McManus (wk); Gus Miller; Sikandar Raza; George Scrimshaw; Ricardo Vasconcelos; Raphael Weatherall; Saif Zaib

Derbyshire Falcons squad: Samit Patel (c); Harry Came; Daryn Dupavillon; Luis Reece; Aneurin Donald; Blair Tickner; Alex Thomson; Mitch Wagstaff; Brooke Guest (wk); Zak Chappell; Pat Brown; Ross Whiteley; David Lloyd; Anuj Dal; Wayne Madsen