| Vitality Blast, North Group, Northampton: |
| Northamptonshire Steelbacks 156-8 (20 overs): Gay 47; Zaman 3-26; Thomson 2-20 |
| Derbyshire Falcons: 160-4 (19.1 overs): Came 43, du Plooy 40*; Willey 2-33 |
| Derbyshire won by six wickets |
| Scorecard I Group table |
Derbyshire Falcons maintained their hopes of reaching the T20 Blast quarter-finals with a six-wicket win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
They leapfrogged their opponents into sixth place in the North Group, one point behind the three teams above them with three games to go.
After batting first, Emilio Gay (47) top scored as Northants reached 156-8.
But Harry Came made 43 and captain Leus du Plooy 40 not out as the Falcons got to the target with five balls left.
Consecutive 78-run victories over Notts Outlaws and Yorkshire Vikings had reignited Northants’ hopes and they opted to try to repeat that formula by batting first after winning the toss.
Gay top scored with 47 off 34 balls and Australian T20 specialist Chris Lynn made 33 in a partnership of 42 with Gay – the highest of the innings – but the Steelbacks kept losing wickets to stall momentum.
From a position of 81-3 at halfway, they limped to their final score as none of the last 10 overs went for more than 10 runs.
Pakistan T20 international Zaman Khan was the pick of the Falcons’ bowlers with 3-26 as his pace troubled all the batters.
Derbyshire were quickly 26-2 in response, but a third-wicket stand of 68 between Came and Wayne Madsen (35) put them in a strong position.
When Came was caught in the deep, they still needed 45 from 28 balls but some fine hitting from South African du Plooy, whose 40 came off only 23 balls, got them over the line.
Both sides are back in action on Friday night with Derbyshire away to Lancashire Lightning and the Steelbacks playing at bottom side Leicestershire Foxes.
Thursday’s fixtures
- Worcestershire Rapids v Notts Outlaws (17:30 BST)
- Yorkshire Vikings v Birmingham Bears (18:30 BST)
- Gloucestershire v Sussex Sharks (18:30 BST)
- Surrey v Middlesex (18:30 BST)
- Essex Eagles v Kent Spitfires (19:00 BST)