Head coach Lehmann says Steelbacks have to quickly learn from Durham setback

The County enjoyed the club's best start to a T20 campaign, winning their first six matches, but they were on the wrong end of their first defeat last Friday when they were undone by 14 runs by Durham.

Lehmann admitted the north east side beat Northants 'at our own game', as they posted a competitive total of 157 for eight on a difficult pitch and then squeezed the life out of the Steelbacks batters in the middle overs.

The off-colour Steelbacks scored just 55 runs between overs six and 16 as the batters struggled, and although Lehmann was unhappy with the performance and defeat, he says it is one that his players have to learn from ahead of this Friday's home clash with Notts Outlaws (start 6.30pm).

"I was really disappointed with the way it happened," said Lehmann. "In the middle we should have been better, and that is something we have to reflect on, and learn from and get better.

"But teams will do that to us now, and that is a good challenge for the players.

"Full credit to Durham, they outplayed us in the end and beat us at our own game really.

"Both teams will be disappointed with how they batted, and both teams bowled reasonably well, but they outfielded us and they ran better between the wickets, that's as simple as it gets for us."

Northants remain top of the table as they prepare to host an Outlaws side that has won three and lost four of their opening seven matches.

They are sixth in the table ahead of a Thursday night trip to Leicestershire ahead of taking on the Steelbacks, who are still big favourites to secure a top two finish and bag a home quarter-final.

"We just have to keep playing well," said Lehmann when asked if he was still confident his team will get the job done.

"We had the game against Durham there for the winning, and we let it go."