T20 wicket centurion Thompson is 'natural leader'

Jordan Thompson has 101 T20 wickets after helping Yorkshire beat Northants

Yorkshire all-rounder Jordan Thompson said restoring a "clear head" after his side's first defeat in the T20 Blast helped him produce an impressive display in a comprehensive win over Northants Steelbacks on Sunday.

Thompson took 3-18 alongside two wickets each from Dom Bess and Matt Revis as the previously unbeaten hosts were restricted to 157-8 at Northampton.

The 29-run victory meant Yorkshire recovered in style from a seven-wicket defeat at Leicestershire two days earlier.

"Friday night was a bit of a disappointment to say the least, but I'm big enough and ugly enough and have played enough T20 cricket to know that you can turn it around within a couple of days," Thompson told BBC Radio York after passing 100 wickets in the format.

"I went out with a clear head and it was nice to put in a performance with bat and ball."

He added: "T20 cricket can be hard - hopefully, you get on a run of a few games. There are times when you're going to get beaten and beaten well.

"It's a matter of putting those behind you and moving forward. T20 tos and fros and it was nice to get some wickets."

Joe Root hit 35 and Dawid Malan posted 41 before a record fifth-wicket partnership for Yorkshire against Northants of 64 between Shan Masood and Dom Bess, as well as some final-over hitting from Thompson, who finished 20 not out off seven deliveries.

Ravi Bopara - a former team-mate of Thompson's for London Spirit in The Hundred - had kept the hosts in the hunt with 35 off 21 balls to follow bowling figures of 4-34.

"I've played with Rav a lot and know what he can do," Thompson said.

"He's a very dangerous cricketer, at the ripe old age of 39. He's still batting very well and his bowling is very tricky, so it's nice to get rid of him and get into the bowlers later on."

Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said he has encouraged Thompson to exert more influence on the squad.

"He's actually quite a natural leader around the dressing room," Gibson said. "He's talking to the other guys a lot.

"This is his format. When we have bowling meetings around analysis, he's the one who's leading those meetings, having those conversations with the lads and talking about the best lines to bowl and so on.

"When he came off, he gave the guys some good advice upstairs, and then we went out and executed."

Third-placed Yorkshire are next in action at home to Derbyshire on Sunday but have a new injury concern over Dom Leech, who could only bowl two overs against Northants.

"Apparently it's a little bit of a sore side, so hopefully that recovers," Thompson said.

"We've got a week off, which is good. [Adam Lyth] didn't play with a little bit of an arm injury, so we can rest up in the next few days, have a couple of good training sessions and come again at Headingley."