'Dangerous' Steelbacks are going to 'be hard to beat' insists White

White was one of the batting heroes as Northants produced a stunning performance to beat Birmingham Bears last Sunday and secure their place in the T20 quarter-finals where they will travel to take on Gloucestershire on Thursday (October 1, 2pm).

He hit 37 not out from just 12 balls and Tom Taylor smashed an unbeaten 50 to see the Steelbacks, who at one point were reeling at 71 for six, to 193 for seven and victory.

The win brought to an end a run of four straight defeats that had threatened to derail the T20 campaign, with the County’s much-vaunted batting line-up having failed to fire as a unit on too many occasions.

It was another disappointing day at Edgbaston for the likes of Josh Cobb, Richard Levi and Adam Rossington, but White is in no doubt they are capable of coming good in the knockout stages

“We know there are a few players in that changing room that haven’t performed for us yet, and that is dangerous,” said the left-arm spinner.

“We just need one of those to come good in the quarter-final and we will win that game, that is how dangerous those players are.

“So I think that gives a slight bit of extra belief, and if we can have a good week’s training, get those boys firing, we are going to be a very hard team to beat.

“We know we have been short in some of the games we have had previously, but we have always had that belief that if we can get enough of our game together we do have match winners in that room.

“You look one to 11, they are all match winners, and a lot of them with the bat and the ball as well as in field.

“So it is about having that belief, that confidence, that bravery in your game and for it all to come together.

“Yes it was a bit up and down on Sunday, but I think the bit of calmness and coolness that was shown at the crease by the likes of Keysy (Rob Keogh), Tom and Saif (Zaib) was great to see.

“It was great to see them clawing us back into that game, and the icing on the cake was me coming in and hitting a few clean ones.

“I think this has given us a really big boost, we sang our song very loudly afterwards, and passionately as well, which is what I love.

“We now have to train well in the next week and focus on that quarter-final.”

Gloucestershire were 35-run winners over the Steelbacks in their meeting at the County Ground a fortnight ago, but White is expecting a Steelbacks bounce after their Edgbaston heroics.

“We have always thought we have a good chance in this competition, and yes we got dented a little bit in those previous games,” he said.

“But we just have to play our brand of cricket, enjoy it, have fun with each other, and show the passion we showed on Sunday with the bat.

“If we keep doing that, then our skills are going to take care of themselves because we have some fantastic cricketers in that changing room.

“It is also great to have new people like Keysy and Tommy coming into the side, and showing us what they can do as well, and I do think a lot of teams will fear us.”