Northamptonshire Steelbacks arrived at the County Ground in Derby having won their first two games to face a Falcons side who lost their opener.
It was Derbyshire who took charge in the early stages as Northamptonshire lost three wickets inside the opening five overs to slip to 24-3.
But skipper David Willey and Bopara steadied the ship with a quickfire 75 partnership as Willey hit three sixes on his way to 37 before he holed out to Pat Brown at deep mid-wicket off Martin Andersson’s first ball.
Saif Zaib fell for seven but Bopara stepped on the gas, ably supported by Lewis McManus who contributed a useful 29 from 17 balls.
The Steelbacks racked up 67 runs from the final four overs, including 24 off the last of the innings from Zak Chappell in which Bopara hit three sixes and a four.
It left the Falcons with something of a mini mountain to climb, but one which they so nearly did.
Derbyshire’s reply could not have got off to a worse start when Aneurin Donald spooned one up to Luke Procter off Willey to be dismissed after two balls for the second game in a row.
Soon, 0-1 became 12-2, and then 33-3 as David Lloyd and Wayne Madsen both fell without really troubling the scorers.
Enter Samit Patel.
An excellent partnership of 114 between Patel and opener Caleb Jewell gave the Falcons a sniff of pulling off an excellent chase until Jewell was caught by Justin Broad off Procter for 71 from 44 balls.
Falcons skipper Patel was not to be perturbed and battled on valiantly to try and drag his side over the line, smashing four sixes and nine fours as he made an unbeaten 83.
Ross Whiteley came in at the end to hit 15 from 8 balls but Derbyshire were six runs shy of at least tying a thrilling contest.
