Who are the key players? How did they do last year? Where are they strong? Where might they be weak? Key questions answered ahead of the new T20 Blast campaign
Coach: David Ripley
Captain: Josh Cobb
Last season: Quarter-finals
How did they do last year?
A campaign of wild mood swings for the Steelbacks: four consecutive wins had them seemingly flying into the knockout stages; four defeats left them nervously looking behind them.
They looked to have completely fouled it up when they conceded 191 to Birmingham Bears in the crunch match at Edgbaston, then slumped to 71 for 6 halfway through the reply. Rob Keogh, Tom Taylor and Graeme White had no choice but to swing the willow towards a short boundary, and they pulled off an extraordinary chase with seven balls to spare. White was put down first ball by Jake Lintott, which would have been his fifth catch of the innings. Somerset’s last-ball defeat by Gloucestershire sent Northamptonshire through.
It was an impressive debut for Taylor, who had just chosen Northants over several other counties including Warwickshire, after turning down a new contract at Leicestershire.
Gloucestershire did Northants no more favours in the quarter-final at Bristol, when another misfiring batting display put paid to the Steelbacks’ hopes of a third T20 title in eight years.
Northants had taken advantage of Ireland’s proximity during the pandemic by signing up Paul Stirling, the men's T20 Player Index No.34, as an overseas allrounder, but he might have hoped for more after crunching 80 not out against Worcestershire.
Who are their key players?
Ricardo Vasconcelos was injured for all but three of Northants’ T20 games last season, and they missed his class and weight of runs in the top order. He would be one of the most sought-after signings in the county game had David Ripley not offered him a contract until the end of 2024.
Brandon Glover, who went to school with Vasconcelos in Johannesburg, has been signed to add speed to Northants’ attack in the short forms and they will need his x-factor. Josh Cobb, as captain and innings-setting opener, is another pivotal figure.
Mohammad Nabi will strengthen a middle-order in need of stability
What are their biggest strengths?
A settled squad that has been assembled primarily with T20 cricket in mind. Saif Zaib’s excellent start to the season – seven years on from his county debut – suggests he could finally supplant Graeme White, now a player/coach at Northampton, as the first-choice left-arm spinner.
With Mohammad Nabi and Rob Keogh around to bowl offies, they are well stocked in the spin department for the first time in years. Wayne Parnell showed in his time at Worcester that he still has what it takes, and offers a valuable left-arm angle that Northants have lacked in T20 since David Willey’s departure in 2015.
Where might they have a weakness?
Though Northants have improved their fielding and fitness in recent times, they do look slightly longer in the tooth than some teams out there. Richard Levi has salvaged another one-year contract and needs a big season to both stay at Northampton at the age of 33 and ensure his side the strong starts they will surely need. And they’re missing a wrist-spinner this year.
What are their chances of reaching Finals Day?
Rival teams in the North Group have upped their T20 cricket since the Steelbacks enjoyed their golden sequence in the format between 2013 and 2016, but they will certainly never be taken lightly again.
Though their squad is bigger than for some time and boosted by the addition of specialist coaches John Sadler and Chris Liddle, Northants are as reliant on keeping their big players fit as any county, so rest and rotation of all-format bowlers such as Ben Sanderson has long been a feature at Wantage Road.
You sense they will need to chalk up some wins in their first three games, all at home, before some longer road trips up north.
Possible XI: Richard Levi, Josh Cobb, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Mohammad Nabi, Adam Rossington, Luke Procter, Wayne Parnell, Saif Zaib, Tom Taylor, Brandon Glover, Ben Sanderson
Fixtures: June 11 – Worcestershire (h); June 13 – Nottinghamshire (h); June 15 – Birmingham Bears (h); June 17 – Derbyshire (a); June 18 – Worcestershire (a); June 20 – Leicestershire (h); June 23 – Durham (a); June 25 – Lancashire (h); June 26 – Yorkshire (a); June 29 – Leicestershire (a); June 30 – Durham (h); July 9 – Lancashire (a); July 16 – Derbyshire (h); July 18 – Birmingham Bears (a)
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