Northants pull off remarkable win to edge quarter-final spot ahead of Bears

Northants Steelbacks booked their place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a stunning three-wicket victory over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston, who missed out on the last eight on net run-rate after their defeat.

A wildly fluctuating match was yanked the Steelbacks' way in the closing stages when a violent assault from debutant Tom Taylor, who hit 50 not out off 26 balls and Graeme White, whose 13-ball 37 included two fours and four sixes, saw them collect an unlikely 73 from the last six overs.

The Bears had posted a hefty 191 for 5 having been rescued from 20 for 4 by a fifth-wicket stand of 171 from 99 balls between Adam Hose and Dan Mousley. Hose blasted his maiden T20 century, making 119 from 64 balls with nine fours and seven sixes, while 19-year-old Mousley struck a T20-best 58 not out.

The Steelbacks reply hit trouble at 28 for 3 and 71 for 6 but Taylor, making his debut after moving across the East Midlands from Leicestershire, and White hit cleanly to see their side home with seven balls to spare.

The Bears chose to bat but the Steelbacks quickly took control by taking two wickets in the third over and two more in the fourth. Taylor's first ball for Northants was lifted for six by Rob Yates but his second had the batsman caught at mid-on. Will Rhodes was then bowled, first ball.

Ben Sanderson followed up with two quickfire blows with successive balls as Bears linchpin Sam Hain was trapped lbw and Michael Burgess edged to Richard Levi at slip.

That was 20 for 4 but Hose and Mousley rebuilt, first carefully and then with increasing aggression. Hose reached 50 from 37 balls and then galloped to his century in just another 17 balls to become the third Bears T20 century-maker alongside Brendon McCullum and Ian Bell. Mousley played the perfect supporting role, posting his maiden T20 half-century from 37 balls.

Northants' reply suffered early damage as three wickets fell in the first 20 balls. Jake Lintott was involved in them all, taking smart catches to remove Richard Levi and Adam Rossington off Tim Bresnan and ousting Josh Cobb via a catch by Mousley at extra cover. Lintott swooped again, this time at mid on, to dismiss Procter to leave Bresnan with 3 for 16 from his first three overs.

Paul Stirling's dangerous innings - 38 off 23 balls - was ended by a gloved pull at Liam Norwell and when Saif Zaib became the fourth batsmen caught by Lintott, the Steelbacks were 71 for 6.

But Taylor and Rob Keogh clubbed a stand of 69 in 34 balls to keep their side in contention and then White arrived to crown a stunning fightback with a blitz of boundaries to seal the Steelbacks' place in the last eight.

For the Bears, meanwhile, there was heartbreak, not least for club legend Jeetan Patel whose great Warwickshire career, which brought so much joy and success, had concluded with a devastating defeat.

Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire
Surrey v Kent
Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire
Sussex v Lancashire
All fixtures to be played on October 1