Steelbacks fall short as they suffer damaging Blast defeat at the hands of Derbyshire Falcons

The six-wicket loss all but ends Northants’ interest in the competition as they remain two points outside the top four with just two matches remaining, and with an inferior run-rate to most of the sides above them.

They also drop back down to seventh in the table, with Derbyshire leapfrogging them thanks to their Wantage Road success, which was achieved with five balls to spare.

The Steelbacks were always up against it once the posted what looked a below-par 156 for eight, slumping from a decent foundation of 96 for three in the 13th over.

Emilio Gay top-scored with 47 and Chris Lynn made 33 from 23 balls, but it didn’t look to be enough, and so it proved.

Derbyshire lost a couple of early wickets but paced their reply to perfection as they got home in the final over, four wides off the bowling of Tom Taylor sealing the win.

Leus du Plooy saw the visitors over the line with 40 not out from 23 balls, while Harry Came made 43 from 40 and Wayne Madsen 35 from 24.

The Steelbacks bowlers were all neat and tidy, with David Willey taking two for 33, but they lacked the penetration to trouble the Falcons.

Willey again won the toss and, as he did against Notts and Yorkshire, elected to bat having named an unchanged side from the one that won so convincingly at Headingley on Tuesday night.

The Steelbacks got off to a poor start with Ricardo Vasconcelos pinned leg before by off-spinner Alex Thomson off the final ball of the first over.

After a cautious beginning, things picked up in the third with Chris Lynn launching Zak Chappell for six over square-leg, and then picked up a couple of fours off leg-spinner Mattie McKinnon.

The powerplay closed with Steelbacks in decent shape at 46 for one, but the first ball of the seventh saw Lynn's promising innings come to a close for 33 from 23 balls, the Aussie hitting Thomson straight to long-off.

Emilio Gay had been quiet at the other end, but that changed in the eighth over as he sweetly pulled George Scrimshaw over square-leg for six and then straight drove him for four.

Justin Broad had again looked comfortable at the crease, but in the ninth over he missed a straight one from Scrimshaw to lose his middle stump, and Steelbacks were 79 for three two balls shy of the halfway point.

Gay and Willey had added 17 when the latter top edged Scrimshaw to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest, and the County had plenty of work to do at 96 for four in the 13th.

Gay had been looking to up the run-rate and had made 47 from 34 balls, but his innings was ended when he was bowled by a straight fast leg-stump yorker from slingy Pakistan pace man Zaman Khan.

At 108 for five the Steelbacks needed somebody to come up with the goods to set the Falcons a testing total.

Saif Zaib did his bit, hitting two sixes in his 25 from 16 balls, but the late charge never came and the Steelbacks, who only mustered 39 runs from the final five overs, closed on 156 for eight. Khan finished with three for 26, and Thomson two for 20.

Steelbacks needed early wickets, and after a tight start they made the breakthrough, Willey bowling Luis Reece in the third over to reduce the visitors to 10 for one.

Haider Ali was next in and meant business clubbing 14 off seven balls, but after dispatching Tom Taylor over cow corner for six he tried again the next ball and only succeeded in top edging high in the air, Lewis McManus taking the catch and Falcons were 26 for two.

They ended the powerplay on 37 for two, and although the County were keeping it tight, they needed to keep taking wickets defending such a modest total.

And they couldn't manage it.

Wayne Madsen and Harry Came took control of the match as the pair put on 68 in seven overs, before the Steelbacks claimed a much-needed wicket, skipper Willey bowling the former for 35 to leave Falcons 94 for three.

But the rate was now down to just eight an over, and the visitors were the favourites as they didn’t need to take any risks.

The Steelbacks desperately needed a wicket and it came in the 16th over, Came hitting AJ Tye to Saif Zaib at deep mid-wicket to go for 43 and give the home side hope at 112 for four.

Willey brought himself back to try and get another wicket, but instead went for 13 off his final over and with the Falcons at 132 for four and needing just 25 to win with three overs remaining the game was as good as up.

The Steelbacks, who were good in the field throughout, kept themselves in the hunt, but it always felt like Falcons were in control, and when the 19th over, bowled by Sanderson, went for 16 it was all over.

Falcons needed just four off the final over, and got it by virtue of a couple of runs and four wides down the leg side.