Ricardo Vasconcelos

Northants skipper Luke Procter (Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Skipper Procter calls on Northants to 'play for pride' in final three matches

Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a century for the Steelbacks at Glamorgan (Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Vasconcelos and Keogh hit tons but Steelbacks still lose to Glamorgan

Northants head coach John Sadler (Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Sadler rues sluggish batting as Steelbacks' cup hopes hang in the balance

Tom Taylor is confident the Northants Steelbacks batters can step up and make up for the loss of Prithvi Shaw through injury (Picture: Tony Marshall/Getty Images)

Taylor backing misfiring batters to steer Steelbacks into knockout stages

Tom Taylor (photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Taylor shines again as Steelbacks see off Sussex

Jack White took three wickets for Northants (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Trio of centurions for Lancashire as Northants are put under huge pressure

David Willey's men suffered defeat at Lancashire Lightning on Sunday afternoon (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Steelbacks bow out of Blast after defeat at Lightning

Tom Taylor took a career-best five for 28 for Steelbacks

Taylor takes five as Steelbacks thrash Yorkshire to keep Blast dreams alive

Ricardo Vasconcelos delivered with the bat

'We still believe' - Sanderson insists Steelbacks can still qualify

Ben Sanderson

Sanderson shines as Steelbacks secure big win against Outlaws

Ricardo Vasconcelos has missed three of the past four Blast matches with a wrist problem

In-form Vasconcelos on course to return from injury for Lightning clash

Emilio Gay top-scored for the Steelbacks at Durham

Gay frustrated as Steelbacks come up short in Blast trip to Durham

Saif Zaib hammered an unbeaten 70 to steer the Steelbacks to victory at New Road

Sensational Saif seals six-wicket success for on-song Steelbacks

The Steelbacks players celebrate Josh Cobb's stunning catch to dismiss Bears' Rob Yates on Wednesday night - but there hasn't been too much else to smile about in the Blast so far

Struggling Steelbacks need big guns to start firing to turn Blast form around

Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a superb 65 for the Steelbacks in their defeat to the Bears (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Top-scorer Vasconcelos concedes basic mistakes cost Steelbacks in Bears loss

David Willey bowls to Bears top-scorer Rob Yates (Picture: Peter Short)

Another defeat for Steelbacks as table-topping Bears prove too strong
Northants Steelbacks slumped to their third straight home defeat in the Vitality Blast as they went down by 21 runs to unbeaten North Group table toppers Birmingham Bears at a chilly County Ground.

Chris Lynn was dismissed off the third ball of the match (Picture: Peter Short)

Head coach Sadler offers up no excuses as Steelbacks are thrashed by Durham

Ricardo Vasconcelos made 52 for the Steelbacks (Picture: Peter Short)

Sowter and Clark star for Durham as Steelbacks suffer a Blast battering

Graeme White in action against Worcestershire Rapids (Picture: Peter Short)

White admits Steelbacks will have to up their game ahead of Durham clash

Ricardo Vasconcelos is bowled by Usama Mir

Sadler frustrated by Rapids reverse but insists the Steelbacks will bounce back

Northants Steelbacks celebrate claiming a wicket in the Worcestershire Rapids innings (Picture: Peter Short)

Batting collapse costs Steelbacks as they slump to opening Blast defeat

Saif Zaib

Zaib shows class but Northants slip to another innings defeat

Tom Taylor celebrates claiming the wicket of Ben Duckett (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Batting coach Ben Smith hopeful Northants can rally against Notts

Brett Hutton celebrates one of his five wickets for Notts (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Notts pace bowler Brett Hutton returns to haunt struggling Northants

Emilio Gay made his first appearance of the summer on Thursday

John Sadler praise for Emilio Gay as batter makes early return for Northants

Saif Zaib will resume day two unbeaten on 22 against Nottinghamshire

Vasconcelos and Zaib rebuild for Northants but rain ruins day one of Notts clash

Ricardo Vasconcelos scored an excellent 70 in testing conditions against Somerset at Taunton on Thursday

Head coach Sadler backing Northants batters to click into gear
Head coach John Sadler is backing the Northants batting line-up to shake off its early season struggles and click into top gear.

It was a gloomy old day in Taunton where Northants made 137 for four on day one of their match with Somerset (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Batting coach Smith praises Vasconcelos effort on 'a difficult day for batting'

Ricardo Vasconcelos clips a legside boundary on his way to 70 for Northants at Somerset (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Vasconcelos half-century the Northants highlight on a stop-start day at Somerset

Lewis McManus is facing a spell on the sidelines after breaking a finger

Northants coach Sadler weighing up options after McManus suffers broken finger

Ricardo Vasconcelos top-scored for Northants on a difficult day at Canterbury

Northants endure difficult start to season as Kent dominate rain-hit day

Northants skipper Luke Procter hit an unbeaten 28 in the rain-hit-friendly with Worcestershire

Luke Procter and Saif Zaib lead recovery for Northants before rain wins the day

Luke Procter celebrates one of the four centuries he hit last summer

Northamptonshire coach Sadler says skipper Procter will 'lead by example'

Simon Harmer

Northants fall short as Harmer spins Essex to victory

Tom Taylor

Northants boss Sadler: 'We've got a bit of a fight on our hands'

Saif Zaib shows his relief after completing his century against Surrey at the County Ground

Zaib savours 'very special' century as he secures Surrey stalemate for Northants

A delighted Saif Zaib celebrates his century for Northants against Surrey at the County Ground

Zaib century secures hard-earned draw for Northants against new leaders Surrey

Ricardo Vasconcelos is unbeaten on 51 going into the final day at the County Ground

'All results possible' as Northants head into final day against Surrey

Tom Curran hit 115 from 93 balls for Surrey against Northants

Curran cracks century to put Surrey on top against Northants

Lizaad Williams appeals for a decision against Hashim Amla (Picture: Peter Short)

Veteran Amla frustrates Northants after Keogh century

Josh Cobb made 22 as Northants were bowled out for 221 to lose by an innings and four runs

Batting collapses again as Northants slump to defeat at title-chasing Hampshire

Northants Steelbacks batter Emilio Gay hit a brilliant 131 in the defeat to Lancashire

Ton-up Gay focusing on the positives despite Steelbacks' One Day Cup exit

Emilio Gay (left) and Ricardo Vasconcelos both hit centuries for the Steelbacks in their One Day Cup defeat at Lancashire

Gay and Vasconcelos tons not enough as Lancashire end Steelbacks' One Day Cup ho...

John Sadler

Sadler rues costly 30 minutes as Steelbacks fall to defeat at Kent

Ricardo Vasconcelos

Ricardo returns to form as Steelbacks grab big win against Glamorgan

Rob Keogh claimed three wickets with his off-spin

Keogh 'happy' as Northants stay in touch with Gloucestershire

Jack White celebrates claiming the wicket of Lancashire's Luke Wells at the County Ground

Jack the lad for the Northants as he claims first five-wicket haul to derail Lan...

There was a sparser than normal crowd at the County Ground as temperatures touched 40 degrees for the Northamptonshire clash with Lancashire

McManus and Keogh lead Northants fightback in County Ground heat

Will Young will captain Northamptonshire for the remainder of the season

Will Young 'the right man' for Northamptonshire captaincy

Ricardo Vasconcelos (left) has handed over the Northamptonshire captaincy to Will Young

Sadler keen to see Vasconcelos 'back at his best' for Northamptonshire

Ricardo Vasconcelos has stepped down as captain of Northamptonshire

Vasconcelos steps down as Northamptonshire skipper

Emilio Gay scored the second first-class century of his career against Kent at Canterbury on Monday

Northants opener Emilio continues his Canterbury love affair

Emilio Gay top-scored for Northants against Kent, making 112

Gay cracks second career century as honours end even on day one at Kent

Emilio Gay

Emilio extends his Northants contract

Ricardo Vasconcelos has signed a three-year contract extension with Northants

Skipper Vasconcelos puts pen to paper on new Northants contract