Willey and McSweeney too hot for Gloucestershire to handle as Steelbacks make it eight out of eight

Northants were asked to chase down 185 to win without star batter Chris Lynn, but it proved no issue.

Lynn’s fellow Australian McSweeney posted a chanceless 72 from 40 balls, hitting two sixes and eight fours, while hard-hitting skipper Willey smashed a 32-ball 73, including seveb sixes and two fours as the County chased down their target with 16 balls to spare.

It was an eighth straight win for the Streelbacks and sees them go 12 points clear at the top of the Central & West Group, with four matches to play.

Gloucestershire won the toss, batted first and ran up a competitive total of 184 for two, with Dawid Malan top-scoring with an unbeaten 91 from 55 balls with six fours and four sixes on his first appearance of the season.

But it was not enough to threaten the Steelbacks’ hundred per cent record and a second defeat in five days leaves second-placed Gloucestershire trailing the Central and West Group leaders by a big margin.

Making his long-awaited Gloucestershire debut after recovering from a calf strain, Malan scored all around the wicket in a powerplay that yielded 44 for the loss of D'Arcy Short.

Boundaries were in relatively short supply on a worn surface and the visitors adopted a pace-off strategy, deploying spinners Louis Kimber and Calvin Harrison in a bid to restrict.

But Liam Scott opened up with a four and six and Malan pulled Harrison over the square leg boundary to afford the innings crucial tempo, Gloucestershire advancing to 87 for one at halfway.

Malan went to an enterprising 32-ball half century in the grand manner, hoisting George Scrimshaw over mid-wicket as the partnership passed 50.

He repeated the shot at the expense of Willey in the next over.

Northants needed a breakthrough and Harrison had Scott held at deep mid-wicket in the 13th, the all-rounder having contributed 33 in a stand of 79 in seven overs.

Seizing their opportunity to turn the screw, the visitors conceded just 21 runs in the next four overs, before Miles Hammond and Malan mustered a late flourish. Hammond scored 33 in an unbroken stand of 61, Malan finishing nine short of a century.

Ricardo Vasconcelos and McSweeney soon put Gloucestershire’s efforts into perspective, the openers accruing 62 in a productive powerplay which included nine fours and two sixes.

Vasconcelos had made 36 from 30 balls, struck five boundaries and played a crucial supporting role in an opening stand of 82 in nine overs when he edged a Daz Ahmed delivery behind to afford Gloucestershire hope.

But McSweeney maintained his smooth progress, going to a faultless half century from 27 balls with his sixth four, while Willey came out with all guns blazing, the England all-rounder bludgeoning a 24-ball 50, bringing up that landmark with a sizzling straight six off Ahmed as the home side wilted under fire.

Opening his shoulders to good effect, Willey helped himself to seven sixes in all, his quickfire innings serving to take the game away from Gloucestershire’s shell-shocked bowlers.

By the time Willey offered a catch behind off Ahmed, the second wicket partnership was worth 99 and Northants were home and dry.