LIAM PLUNKETT has urged his Yorkshire team-mates to maintain their newfound fearless approach to T20 cricket if they are to taste success in this summer’s NatWest Blast.

The England fast bowler says their recent form has forged an air of confidence within the Vikings squad, especially the trio of final over wins over Lancashire, Derbyshire and Birmingham.

Middlesbrough-born Plunkett was key to Wednesday’s 49-run victory over Durham at Headingley, his former county, with a superb 1-13 from four overs.

He also took a superb running and diving catch at long-on in the defence of 223-6, their highest ever T20 total.

And although he held the victory in the highest regard, he believes winning the close games are arguably more important.

Plunkett and co are now eyeing a place in the quarter-finals, despite languishing at the foot of the North Group table for so long.

They only won one out of their first six matches, but heading into tonight’s penultimate group game against leaders Northamptonshire at Headingley, starting at 7pm, they have won five from 12 overall.

Yorkshire sit fifth in the table, level on points with fourth-placed Durham, who have a better net run-rate.

Still, if Yorkshire win both of their remaining two games - the last one is also against Northants next Friday - it would be a surprise if they didn’t finish in the top four and qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 2012.

“The white ball, before the Surrey Championship game last week, we won a few close ones,” he said. “And sometimes to win games in the last over, they serve you better.

“You can really beat a team like we did with Durham, but winning the nippers build confidence.

“We know we were off the pace at the start of the competition. It put us at the bottom and made every game a final.

“Durham was the best performance of the season.

“The guys at the top got us off to a flyer. Scoring 77 was our best power play of the season, it might even have been our best ever.

“We work hard in the field, and that showed again. We also felt good with ball.

“We are playing without fear, which is great.

“For me, if I’m bowling and the ball gets hit towards the boundary and someone misfields it attacking it, fair enough, you’re trying. That’s the way we want Yorkshire to play.

“If we go out and start bombing it but we’re 60 for four or even six, as long as everyone backs each other it’s fine. That’s the way forward.

“The more you do that, the more confidence you get and the more games you win.”

Northants are already qualified with seven wins from 12, and they also host Yorkshire in the final group game at Wantage Road next Friday.

“If we win those two games, we’ll have won a big chunk at the back end and will go forward with confidence,” added Plunkett.

“We’ll be a tough team to play in the quarter-finals, but there’s still work to be done.”

Jason Gillespie has named an unchanged 14-man squad for the final T20 match of the season at Headingley.

Yorkshire v Northants: Lees c, Bresnan, Carver, Coad, Head, Hodd w, Leaning, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rafiq, Rhodes, Waite, Willey.