Steelbacks' T20 Blast bid is over as they are thrashed by Gloucestershire

Northants Steelbacks' season is over after they slumped to a crushing seven-wicket defeat to Gloucestershire in the quarter-finals of the Vitality T20 Blast at Bristol.
Josh Cobb is bowled (Pictures: Peter Short)Josh Cobb is bowled (Pictures: Peter Short)
Josh Cobb is bowled (Pictures: Peter Short)

David Ripley's side produced a miserable display with bat as they were bowled out for just 113 with three balls of their innings remaining, and the bowlers also struggled as the home cruised to victory with a huge 8.1 overs to spare.

The County's big-hitting top four of Richard Levi, Paul Stirling, Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington once again failed to produce the goods as they were all back in the pavilion with the County score on just 51.

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And this time there was to be be no middle or late order recovery to come to the rescue.

Josh CobbJosh Cobb
Josh Cobb

And a slow pitch that had looked so difficult to bat on when the Steelbacks were at the crease, offered up absolutely no demons for the home side as they made light work of the chase to complete an emphatic win at 114 for three in the 12th over.

It all meant Northants' season was ended in humiliating fashion, with Gloucestershire going on to Saturday's Finals Day at Edgbaston.

The Steelbacks named an unchanged team from the one that produced a remarkable fightback to beat Birmingham Bears in the final Central Group match at Edgbaston last month.

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Gloucestershire were also unchanged from their final group win over Somerset, and it was the home side who got off to the perfect start as Paul Stirling was out for a duck off the fifth ball of the match.

Richard LeviRichard Levi
Richard Levi

The Irishman was struggling with his timing on a slow-looking wicket, and was then caught at mid-wicket by Benny Howell after trying to hit David Payne over mid-on.

Not the ideal start for the Steelbacks after Josh Cobb had won the toss and batted.

The skipper and Richard Levi both hit a couple of fours each to get the innings moving, but with the final ball of the fifth over Gloucester struck again as Graeme van Buuren bowled Levi for 14 and Northants were 25 for two.

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By the end of the six-over powerplay, Northants had crawled to 29 for two, and knew they had plenty of work to do to set the home side a decent target to chase.

Rob KeoghRob Keogh
Rob Keogh

Cobb had batted sensibly for his 16, but suffered a rush of blood in the eight over as he tried to hammer Benny Howell with a slog aimed over mid-wicket, missed the ball, and saw his middle stump knocked out of the ground.

That left a lot riding on the shoulders of Adam Rossington, but he too perished shortly afterwards for just 10, top edging a clip to mid-wicket off Howell and skying a catch to Ryan Higgins who took it well.

So once again, the Steelbacks' much-vaunted big guns at the top of the order had failed to fire, leaving the lower order to turn things around.

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Rob Keogh and Luke Procter moved things on to 74 for four in the 14th over, but then the innings imploded as the Steelbacks lost three wickets for six runs.

Paul Stirling trudges off after getting out for a duckPaul Stirling trudges off after getting out for a duck
Paul Stirling trudges off after getting out for a duck

Keogh was first to go, bowled by Howell for 12 attempting an unwise paddle to fine-leg, van Buuren then bowled Saif Zaib for one before Procter fired a Howell delivery straight to extra cover where he was caught for 18 and Northants were 80 for seven.

That brought Edgbaston heroes Tom Taylor and Graeme White together again, but there was to be no get out of jail card for the Steelbacks this time as White was bowled for four and Nathan Buck for two.

Taylor did produce a late flurry, hitting two sixes and a four, but he was the Steelbacks' last man out in the final over, caught going for another big hit at long on for an entertaining 27 from 15 balls.

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The Steelbacks, who were bowled out for 98 against Glamorgan earlier in the campaign, had been bowled out again, this time for 113, leaving the bowlers with a mountain to climb.

Gloucester have lost their past four T20 quarter-finals, but if they had any nerves they didn't show as Miles Hammond reverse swept the second ball of the innings from Cobb for six.

Hammond and Chris Dent hit regular boundaries as they raced to 48 for none, but then they did lose a wicket, Hammond chipping a Nathan Buck delivery to Cobb at mid-off.

It was only a brief respite for Northants as the home side ended the powerplay in total command at 59 for one.

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Dent had eased to 40 when he made a rare mistake and edged White to Rossington to reduce Gloucester to 74 for two, but within just 40 runs of victory.

The in-form Ian Cockbain had come to the crease on Hammond's dismissal and he showed his class as he produced a flurry of big shots.

The home side did lose another wicket, James Bracey top edging a sweep off White to Levi, but Ryan Higgins decided he was in a hurry to get things wrapped up as he thumped

Northants' left-arm off-spinner for four fours in four balls to end proceedings after just 11.1 overs as he ended on 17 not out, with Cockbain unbeaten on 30.

White ended with figures of two for 43, but this was a day where nobody in the Steelbacks camp could look back on their performance with any real pride.