Kleinveldt and Gleeson strike for Steelbacks as Lightning lose out

Rory Kleinveldt and Richard Gleeson were the stars with the ball, claiming three for 16 and three for 29 respectively as their side secured a vital NatWest T20 Blast victory.

Lancashire had fought back after slipping to 25 for five as Kleinveldt, whose opening three overs went for just two runs, and Gleeson ran riot.

But Ryan McLaren's sublime 77 wasn't enough as the Steelbacks celebrated a good win in front of another big crowd at the County Ground.

Richard Levi was the stand-out player with the bat for Northants, blasting 71 as he continued his fine form in this season's competition.

But there is a slight worry ahead of Saturday's trip to Worcestershire Rapids, as Levi was forced off after colliding with Gleeson in the field while taking a catch.

Northants were boosted by the successful return of Muhammad Azharullah though, as he came back from a shoulder injury to register figures of one for 27.

Azharullah would have to wait to play his part after Northants lost the toss and were sent into bat by Lancashire.

Levi hit the first ball of the innings for four, but Junaid Khan came back well to restrict Northants to a total of seven from the opening over.

Adam Rossington added a four from the next over and a six and a four from the third, smashing a Jordan Clark delivery on top of one of the bars.

But Rossington was to go in the fifth over as he holed out to Aaron Lilley off the bowling of Khan for 29 off 16 balls.

Ben Duckett was next in but he endured a difficult start and was eventually bowled by McLaren for a five-ball duck.

At the end of the powerplay, the Steelbacks were 42 for two, needing Levi, in particular, to stick around and kick-start the innings.

But Lancashire were suffocating the Steelbacks with spin and there was no real momentum from the home side.

Levi relieved a bit of pressure with a timely six, but the Steelbacks had stumbled to 69 for two at the halfway stage.

The 100 came up at the end of the 14th over, with Levi and Alex Wakely ticking along.

But the Steelbacks needed to up the rate and Levi was the man to do it, reaching his 43-ball half-century with a four and adding another boundary from the following ball.

And the 16th over was to be exactly what the Steelbacks required as they took 25 runs from the bowling of McLaren, including a huge Levi maximum.

Khan had bowled a tight next over, but a wide was to cost him as Wakely hammered a six from the final ball to keep the Steelbacks going.

However, Levi's brilliant innings was to end with the first ball of the 18th over as he was bowled by Clark for 71 from 54 balls.

That left the Steelbacks on 139 for three with 17 deliveries remaining and they sent Kleinveldt in to try to finish with a flourish.

And the South African star announced his arrival with a trademark six.

But Khan again bowled superbly to stop the flow of runs, leaving the Steelbacks needing a big final over off McLaren.