Willey Stars With Bat and Ball as Northamptonshire Make it Six From Six

Northamptonshire won by 6 wickets (with 12 balls remaining) (D/L method) in match 53 of 112 in the T20 Blast 2026, extending their perfect start to the season with a comprehensive victory over Worcestershire at County Ground, Northampton. David Willey delivered the standout all-round performance, smashing 47 with the bat before earlier claiming 2/28 with the ball to drive Northamptonshire to a sixth consecutive win.

First Innings – Worcestershire Stall After Promising Start

Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bowl in a match reduced to 18 overs per side by rain. They struck early when Kashif Ali fell for 8 off 8 balls with the score on just 16 in the third over.

Gareth Roderick and Brett D’Oliveira steadied things with a rebuilding partnership worth 62 runs. Roderick was the more aggressive of the two, striking six fours and a six in his 47 off 32 balls at a strike rate of 147. D’Oliveira anchored the other end with 22 off 22 at a run-a-ball pace.

However, a cluster of wickets around overs 10-11 shifted the momentum firmly in Northamptonshire‘s favour. D’Oliveira was caught with the score on 78 in over 10.1, and just two balls later Roderick followed for 80/3. James Sales was the chief destroyer, finishing with figures of 3/34 from his four overs, while David Willey was characteristically miserly with 2/28 including a maiden.

Sikandar Raza provided late impetus with an unbeaten 36 off 24 balls at 150, aided by a quickfire cameo from Ethan Brookes (19 off 9, SR 211) to push Worcestershire to 154/5 from their 18 overs.

Second Innings – Lynn Launches, Willey Finishes

Northamptonshire needed to chase a DLS-adjusted target and wasted no time getting after it. Chris Lynn set the tone with a blistering 37 off just 18 balls, cracking three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 206. His dismissal at 71/2 in over 5.1 barely slowed the hosts.

Ricardo Vasconcelos had already departed for 8 off 6 with the score on 43, and Nathan McSweeney continued the aggressive intent with 26 off 15 balls (SR 173, four fours and a six) before falling at 78/3 in over 7.1.

David Willey then took control. The veteran all-rounder compiled 47 off 33 deliveries, mixing clean hitting (four fours, three sixes) with smart running to keep the required rate in check. He was eventually bowled for 147/4 in over 14.4, but by then the job was almost done.

Justin Broad (26* off 18, SR 144) and Saif Zaib (9* off 6) saw Northamptonshire home with two overs to spare, finishing on 162/4 in 16 overs.

Adam Finch (2/35) was the pick of the Worcestershire attack, but the bowling unit struggled to contain the onslaught, with Tom Taylor going at 16.50 an over in his two-over spell.

Statz MVP – David Willey

David Willey earns the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 111.11. His all-round contribution of 47 off 33 with the bat and 2/28 from four overs (including a maiden) with the ball made him the decisive figure in this contest. The Statz match impact rating calculates impact based on match context, and Willey’s influence across both innings was clear. No official Man of the Match was assigned, but there was only one candidate.

Across six matches this T20 Blast season, Willey has averaged an mi_rating of 73.85 with a cumulative total of 443.08 – a remarkable run of consistency that has been central to Northamptonshire‘s perfect record.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. David Willey (NOR) – mi_rating 111.11 – 47 off 33 with the bat, 2/28 with the ball. Complete all-round display.

2. Sikandar Raza (WOR) – mi_rating 94.49 – 36* off 24 batting, 1/31 bowling. Led Worcestershire’s resistance on both fronts.

3. James Sales (NOR) – mi_rating 70.35 – 3/34 bowling. Broke the back of the Worcestershire innings in the middle overs.

4. Chris Lynn (NOR) – mi_rating 67.38 – 37 off 18. Explosive opening that set the tone for the chase.

5. Gareth Roderick (WOR) – mi_rating 60.27 – 47 off 32. Top-scored for Worcestershire with an aggressive knock.

Turning Point

The double strike in over 10 proved decisive. Brett D’Oliveira was caught at 78/2 in over 10.1, and Gareth Roderick followed just two balls later at 80/3 in over 10.3. Worcestershire had been building nicely through their partnership, but losing both set batters in the space of three deliveries stalled their progress at exactly the point they needed to accelerate. They managed just 29 runs from the next five overs before Ethan Brookes‘ late cameo salvaged something from the death.

Match Context

Northamptonshire now sit top of the T20 Blast 2026 standings with a perfect record – six wins from six, 24 points, and a net run rate of +1.490. They are the only unbeaten side in the competition and look formidable at this stage.

Worcestershire drop to 10th with three wins and three losses from six matches, sitting on 12 points with a net run rate of -0.581. A mid-table position that could go either way as the tournament reaches its halfway point – this was match 53 of 112.

View the full scorecard on Statz.