T20 Blast round-up: Northants maintain perfect record
Key takeaways
- Shutterstock Image caption, David Willey scored his second consecutive half-century for Northamptonshire Steelbacks
- A wonderful third-wicket stand of 105 between Surrey's Josh Philippe and captain Ollie Pope helped the Brown Caps to a seven-run win in a run-fest at Essex.
- And in cross-pool play, Warwickshire Bears continued their white-ball improvement, tasting victory over Sussex Sharks.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Shutterstock Image caption, David Willey scored his second consecutive half-century for Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Northamptonshire Steelbacks maintained their perfect record in the T20 Blast by successfully chasing down a target of 185 to beat Gloucestershire at Bristol by eight wickets and make it an incredible eight wins from eight matches in the competition.
Half-centuries by David Willey (73) and Australia opener Nathan Mc Sweeney (72 not out) helped the visitors reach their target with 16 balls to spare, to extend their lead at the top of the Central and West Group over second-placed Gloucestershire and effectively secure a home quarter-final in the knockout stages.