Darren Lehmann: Head coach urges Northants to create history

Darren Lehmann has urged his Northamptonshire Steelbacks side to create their own history as they look to break an unwanted 26-year-old record on Wednesday.

The quarter-final of the Vitality T20 Blast against Surrey presents Northants with the chance to win at The Oval for the first time since 1999.

The Steelbacks stormed to victory over Surrey at Edgbaston in the 2013 final but London’s famous Test venue has not been a happy hunting ground for them.

However, head coach Lehmann is not fazed by the prospect of facing one of the domestic game’s powerhouses on their own patch.

“Records are there to be broken and for us it’s about creating our own history,” the former Australia batter, 55, told BBC Radio Northampton.

“That’s the buzz. Yes, they’ve got superstars in their side – they are a quality side – but on any given day, you can beat anyone.

“Funny things happen in cricket.”

Northants, who also won the Blast title in 2016, qualified for the last eight by finishing fourth in North Group, while Surrey topped South Group but have not won the tournament since its inaugural year in 2003.

“Once you are in the knockout stages anything can happen,” Lehmann added. “It’s the team that performs the best under pressure.

“And the way we play, we do that well enough. The first six overs are key. If we can get into the game, the rest should look after itself.”