Steelbacks keen to get the job done against Somerset

After looking as though they were going to coast into the Vitality T20 Blast quarter-finals a couple of weeks ago, it is suddenly squeaky bum time for Northants.

Three defeats in a row have somewhat undone all the good work of the first five rounds of fixtures that saw the Steelbacks top of the Central Group with nine points.

Going into the final two matches they still only have those nine points, but they do know they are at least masters of their own destiny, with two wins definitely securing second place.

With the top two from each division going through, as well as the two best third-place finishers. Ripley even believes one win from their final two games will be enough to get the Steelbacks into the knockout stages.

And he is hoping they can do the business against Somerset on Friday night - a result that will guarantee a top three spot - otherwise the trip to Edgbaston on Sunday won’t be one for the faint-hearted!

Third-placed Bears, who host Worcestershire on Friday night in their penultimate game, are level on points with second-placed Steelbacks.

But Northants do have a far superior run-rate, and Ripley feels that could be a key factor.

“Gloucestershire beat Birmingham (on Tuesday afternoon), which is a good result for us,” said Ripley following Northants’ eight-run defeat to Worcestershire Rapids.

“I don’t particularly want to go to Birmingham on Sunday for an almost quarter-final type fixture there, a winner-takes-all game.

“But they (the Bears) got well beaten while we were narrowly beaten, so that affects the net run-rate, which could be crucial.

“It is going to be tight, and it always is when you have the best third places available for spots.

“Net run-rate is bound to come into play I would have thought.

“So we just have to go into these to games and take each one as it comes, but it would be lovely to get that win at Somerset."

A win at Taunton would guarantee a top three finish for the Steelbacks and boost confidence ahead of that trip to Edgbaston, and Ripley believes his team are close to finding their best form.

“I thought we did a lot of good things against Worcestershire on Tuesday, and it was disappointing not to get the result," said the head coach, who saw his side beat Somerset by nine runs earlier in the competition.

“But I was generally happy with the way we played, and I think if we play to that level in our next two games, with a bit of smartness here or there, then I am sure we will find the win we need.”

A bit of a problem area in the three recent defeats has been the poor economy rate of the Steelbacks’ seam attack.

So good in the first half of the campaign, the likes of Nathan Buck, Ben Sanderson, Gareth Berg and Brandon Glover have all been unusually expensive at times.

On Tuesday, Sanderson was back to something like his best, but Buck and Glover’s seven overs went for 82 runs, and asked if that is a worry, Ripley said: “If you only play three seamers, then it is a concern (if one or two are struggling).

“Nathan has had some very good games, and Brandon has had some good games. Perhaps he was a little bit rusty from missing games, and his only practice session was on Monday.

“But we took the gamble of playing him a little bit undercooked because he gives us a bit of pace.

“We do have options within our squad, and we will look at that, and we will see what 11 goes into battle for us at Taunton.”

Ripley now also has the option of calling on new signing Tom Taylor.

The seam bowling all-rounder joined the club from Leicestershire on loan on Wednesday, ahead of signing a three-year deal this winter.

Taylor has played in five of the Foxes' T20 matches this season.