Kleinveldt agrees terms with Northants

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Northamptonshire have agreed terms with South Africa seamer Rory Kleinveldt for a short-term contract to be their overseas player at the start of the season.

Northants have sent Kleinveldt a contract and hope that it will be returned to them signed by the end of the week.

The contract covers the first five LV= County Championship matches and three Clydesdale Bank 40 matches which would take Kleinveldt until late May.

Northamptonshire are still seeking an overseas player for the second half of the season and Australia seamer Trent Copeland is again on their radar.

The county came close to signing Copeland during the autumn but the three-times capped New South Wales player pulled out of the deal. But Copeland is understood to have expressed an interest in playing county cricket for the first time and he is now a candidate to replace Kleinveldt.

Kleinveldt, 29, won his first Test cap against Australia in November and his third against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth last weekend.

Northamptonshire are also seeking overseas players for their Friends Life t20 campaign and are in talks with three Australians - Cameron White, Mike Hussey and John Hastings.

White played for Northamptonshire in last year’s Twenty20 competition, Hussey played for the county from 2001 to 2003 but seamer Hastings, who won his first Test cap against South Africa in Perth in late November, has not played county cricket before.

Date: 15/01/2013 15:29:03 by Paul Bolton
In: Today | Northamptonshire |