'Being brave' was key to Northants win - Bopara

Ravi Bopara played 38 T20 internationals for England earlier in his career

Former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara believes 'being brave' was the key to Northants Steelbacks reaching Finals Day in the T20 Blast.

The 40-year-old hit a brilliant unbeaten 105 off just 46 balls as the Steelbacks beat Surrey by seven runs at The Oval in a rain-affected game reduced to 14 overs a side.

The 2013 and 2016 champions can now become only the third three-time winners - after Leicestershire and Hampshire - at Edgbaston on 13 September.

"I thought we had to get 140 minimum. It's never easy because you're swinging at a new ball, nobody really gets time to get in," he told BBC Radio Northampton.

"Ten an over is usually a good score and we managed to get just above that. It was definitely chaseable but it was good enough to put them under pressure."

Bopara has played 493 T20 games around the world during his long career, which began a year before the domestic county game's shortest format came into being.

He started out at Essex, and also played for Sussex before joining Northants ahead of last season, when they lost to Somerset at the quarter-final stage.

His experience and skill were vital as the Steelbacks rebuilt their innings after both openers departed for ducks in the game's first over, adding 47 with Justin Broad and an unbroken 74 with Saif Zaib.

"I thought Broady played really well. He came out and was asking 'what do you think, what do you think'?" Bopara added.

"I just said 'just keep going, there's 14 overs and if one of us has a day out we'll win the game and if we don't we'll get bowled out for 60 and that's fine, it doesn't matter'.

"That was the philosophy and that's what we've talked about over the last week or so amongst ourselves. Just be brave and keep going. That's the best way to play."

Surrey also lost their top order pair cheaply but Ollie Pope (41) and Sam Curran (69 not out) kept them in contention only for their chase to be stifled by tight bowling from David Willey and Ben Sanderson in the closing overs.

"There was a period of about three overs when we went away from our plan and that got them back in the game, but towards the end we went back to our plan again and made it a lot harder for them," said Bopara.

"Ben and Dave, under pressure, have been unbelievable, they've won us that game towards the end. Dave's over where he's jamming them in there and then Sando shut the game down brilliantly."

Bopara, who played all three formats for England from 2007 to 2015, will have a personal milestone in sight on Finals Day as well as trying to help the team lift the trophy.

He needs just 61 runs to reach 10,000 in T20 cricket and asked about his longevity in the game, he added: "I'm still enjoying it, it's still fun."