Wins for Lancs, Essex & Northants in T20 Blast

Wins for Lancs, Essex & Northants in T20 Blast Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, David Willey starred in his 50th game as Northamptonshire Steelbacks' T20 captainPublished9 minutes ago1 CommentsDavid Willey marked his 50th game as Northamptonshire Steelbacks' T20 captain by guiding them to a sixth successive Vitality Blast victory as they overcame Worcestershire Rapids at Wantage Road.The Steelbacks skipper claimed 2-28 with the ball and then top scored with 47 from 33 balls, sharing a decisive stand of 69 with Justin Broad to pass 5,000 T20 career runs in the process.Elsewhere, Lancashire ended a three-game losing streak as Liam Livingstone brilliantly dismantled a target of 129 in a rain-reduced, 10-over clash with fellow strugglers Durham at Banks Homes Riverside.In Chelmsford, Charlie Allison continued his fine form with a personal best 74 to help Essex to a fourth straight victory as they held on to beat Kent.Steelbacks remain unbeatenA second-wicket partnership of 62 from 48 balls between Gareth Roderick and Brett D'Oliveira anchored the Rapids' total of 154-5 from 18 overs after they were put in, with Sikandar Raza adding an unbeaten 36 from 24 balls.But both batters fell to James Sales (3-34) in the space of three deliveries as D'Oliveira holed out to deep mid-wicket and Zaib, scampering in from the fence, held his nerve to take a skier from Roderick.The Steelbacks started slowly in pursuit, with the first two overs yielding only nine before Chris Lynn (37 from 18 balls) launched a merciless assault, with two of his four cleanly struck sixes in Tom Taylor's next over disappearing out of the ground.Lynn set the tone for Northamptonshire to chase down a rain-adjusted target before Willey and Broad helped the home side to 162-4 for a six-wicket victory on the DLS method.In a memorable night for Willey, he equalled Alex Wakely's Steelbacks record of 133 T20 appearances.The result keeps Northamptonshire top of the Cen...