Steelbacks seal final place

Northamptonshire completed their unlikely journey to a first Friends Life t20 final with a seven-wicket win over Essex at Edgbaston.

The Steelbacks had won just three of their previous 22 Twenty20 matches before this season but will play the winner of the second semi-final between champions Hampshire and Surrey.

An unbeaten 78-run stand between Cameron White and Steven Crook ensured they reached Essex's 168 for five with 11 balls to spare - the highest successful run chase on finals day.

Opener Richard Levi's 57 from 35 balls laid the foundation for a pursuit that had threatened to lose direction before White (36 not out) and Crook (46) stole the game away inside 36 balls.

Following Levi's departure Northamptonshire went 28 balls without a boundary to leave the game poised.

But from there White and Crook hit 12 of the next 21 balls to the ropes in a blistering 21-minute period.

Northamptonshire were left with a tough chase after they dropped dangermen Hamish Rutherford and Graham Napier at opposite ends of the innings, costing them 59 runs in total.

White was the culprit when he put down Rutherford from the third ball of the day, before he had scored, and was immediately punished when Rutherford flicked David Willey's next ball for six.

The New Zealander added a quickfire 36 from 19 balls but even that was overshadowed by Napier late on as he finished unbeaten on 38 from 15 balls.

The all-rounder was reprieved on 15 when Northamptonshire skipper Alex Wakely put down a simple chance at mid-off.