Steelbacks seal final spot

by Tom Huelin
 

Northamptonshire’s excellent season continued as they won the first semi-final at Edgbaston, beating Essex by 7 wickets.

Northants skipper Alex Wakely won the toss and elected to field, with rain interruptions and thus Duckworth-Lewis expected in Birmingham today. It turned a pretty astute decision as, although the rain failed to fall, a torrent of boundaries from first Richard Levi and then Steven Crook and Cameron White sealed a place in tonight’s final for the Steelbacks.

Essex started their innings with a huge slice of good fortune, as New Zealander Hamish Rutherford edged David Willey behind without a run to his name, Cameron White dropping a sharp, one-handed catch low to his right at first slip. It was a chance Northants regretted instantly, as Rutherford smashed a six next ball.

Greg Smith didn’t get going however, falling second over as he top-edged Steven Crook to third man for 2. Rutherford looked in the mood, a glorious straight drive back over the bowler Azharullah for four the pick of his innings, before falling for 36 off 19 deliveries to the same bowler, Azharullah’s 25^th of the competition.

Pettini fell for 27 in the 11^th over to leave Essex 44-2. Essex needed a big innings from their powerful middle-order, but it wasn’t to be for Ravi Bopara, as the England hopeful fell next over for 14, Kyle Coetzer taking the wicket in only his third over of the competition to date. Ten Doeschate and Foster almost fell in the same over, offering half-chances to the part-time medium-pacer. David Willey returned to the attack for the 14^th over, the final ball of which was paddled round the corner by Foster, the first boundary in six overs, Essex 99-4. 

After some tap from James Foster, Azzaullah returned to take the key wicket of Ryan Ten Doeschate, as the Dutchman guided one aerially down to third man, Richard Levi taking the catch. 

Graham Napier then got to work in the 19^th over, hoisting David Willey for an almighty six over the square leg boundary, before being dropped on 15 at mid-on, either side of two further boundaries. 

Essex’s penultimate over went for 17, before Napier and Foster brought up their 50 partnership off just 24 deliveries, 37 of which went to Napier with Essex finishing on 168-5, a competitive total after the final two overs went for 36. 

Northants began their reply cautiously, with Levi and Coetzer taking just one run off David Master’s first over. But Levi came to the party in the second, bowled by Napier, as he launched a big six down the ground, before guiding four down to third man. 

Masters third over proved costly for the Eagles, going for 21 including two fours and a pair of maximums as Northants reached 49-0 after five overs. 

Young left-arm seamer Reece Topley was the pick of Essex’s bowlers however, coming around the wicket and cramping the right handers, Kyle Coetzer offering up a sharp chance to Pettini at mid-wicket which was put down. Northants were on top already, Levi bringing up his 50 up from just 27 balls, a score that included four fours and four sixes, the Steelbacks hoping they wouldn’t forfeit this strong start. 

Topley it was who made the breakthrough when, in the ninth over, Coetzer (18) drove to Bopara on the offside. That brought Australian batsman Cameron White to the wicket, who played and missed at his first ball, Essex fans hoping for another breakthrough to get their side back in it.

Topley duly obliged, as he snared the key wicket of Levi for 57, as a fullish delivery from the young left-armer did him for pace, Levi lofting a drive into the grateful hands of Hamish Rutherford. Masters returned to bowl his final over in the 12^th, and the monkey was finally removed from his back as the veteran took a return catch from Steelbacks skipper Alex Wakely, who fell for just 3, his first finals day wicket in seven matches.

The sixteenth over was a pivotal one, White hitting a straight drive off bowler Phillips for six, before Crook did the same for another maximum. Crook then slog-swept another maximum – the third of the over – to leave the Steelbacks needing 36 off 24 balls. 

The 50 partnership was brought up off just 26 deliveries, Crook scoring 31 of them, as even Topley struggled to stem the Steelback charge towards the final. Four boundaries came off his final over as the Northants passed the 150 mark after just 102 deliveries, leaving a run-a-ball target with three overs remaining.

The excellent Crook it was who hit the winning runs of the match, an attempted hook flying over the keepers head for four, securing a fine win for the Steelbacks.