No excuses from coach Chris Silverwood as Essex are crushed by the Steelbacks

Essex skipper Simon Harmer won the toss before the start, and it was to be the last time the visitors got the better of David Willey and Co all night as they were taken to the cleaners at a packed out cinch County Ground.

Harmer's decision to bowl first backfired spectacularly as the Steelbacks stormed to a record 238 for six, with Chris Lynn (75), Willey (65) and Ricardo Vasconcelos (44) all having fun under the blistering evening sun.

It was the highest T20 total seen at Wantage Road, and the County's second highest of all time.

It was also the highest total Essex had ever conceded in T20 cricket, and things didn't get much better for them with bat in hand either.

Essex set out on their chase with intent, but despite entertaining cameos from opener Michael Pepper, who made 23 from 11 balls, and England man Jordan Cox (21 from nine), they kept losing wickets.

They slid to 73 for five in the eighth over before leg-spinner Calvin Harrison finished the rest of the innings off, taking a career-best five for nine as the visitors were rushed out for 108 in 13.2 overs to hand the Steelbacks a seventh successive win in this season’s competition.

It was a chastening evening for Essex, who were taking on the Steelbacks for the first time in 13 years, and playing a T20 match at the County Ground for the first time.

They won't be keen to come back in a hurry.

"It was a comprehensive defeat," admitted former England head coach Silverwood.

"We were slow out of the blocks and Northants got off to a really solid start, with the two openers putting a lot of pressure on our bowlers.

"We probably could have held out lines and lengths a little bit better, but they did put a lot of pressure on us and made us work really hard.

"Once they get going, then it is really hard to stop them.

"It looked a belting wicket, so credit to the groundsman for that, and there was a fast outfield, and we have came up well short."

Reflecting on the decision to bowl first, Silverwood admitted: "We backed ourselves to chase on that.

"We knew it was going to be a very good wicket, and that has worked for us in the past.

"You can always reflect on either way, and should we or should we not have bowled, but that is what we chose to do, and quite frankly we have just come up short, regardless of that.

"We needed people to get going out there, Coxy showed a little bit of that and Peps, but unfortunately we couldn't get those partnerships going."

And he added: "If we are brutally honest, we didn't execute our bowling plans particularly well and we have to be honest and reflect, which we will be, and obviously try and put that right.

"But we were outplayed in all departments by Northants.

“It's tough. When you're chasing scores like that, you have to keep going.

"There's no room for rebuilding because you just don't have the time. And unfortunately, we just couldn't get anybody to get going and to put the pressure back onto the Northants bowling attack.

"Credit to them, Harrison bowled very well."