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| One Day name | Northants Steelbacks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ||||
| Captain | Luke Procter | |||
| One Day captain | David Willey | |||
| Coach | Darren Lehmann | |||
| Overseas player(s) | Matthew Breetzke Yuzvendra Chahal Ashton Agar (T20) | |||
| Team information | ||||
| Founded | 1878; 147 years ago (1878) | |||
| Home ground | County Ground, Northampton | |||
| Capacity | 6,500[1] | |||
| History | ||||
| First-class debut | Hampshire in 1905 at Southampton | |||
| Twenty20 Cup wins | 2 | |||
| FP Trophy/NatWest Trophy wins | 2 | |||
| B&H Cup wins | 1 | |||
| Official website | [1] | |||
| ||||
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteenfirst-classcounty clubs within the domesticcricket structure ofEngland andWales. It represents thehistoric county ofNorthamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called theNorthants Steelbacks – a reference to theNorthamptonshire Regiment which was formed in 1881. The name was supposedly a tribute to the soldiers' apparent indifference to the harsh discipline imposed by their officers.[2] Founded in 1878, Northamptonshire (Northants) heldminor status at first but was a prominent member of the earlyMinor Counties Championship during the 1890s. In 1905, the club joined theCounty Championship and was elevated to first-class status, since when the team have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.[3]
The club plays the majority of its games at theCounty Cricket Ground, Northampton, but has used outlier grounds atKettering,Wellingborough,Rushden[4] andPeterborough (historically part of Northamptonshire, but currently governed withCambridgeshire) in the past. It has also used grounds outside the county for one-day games: for example, atLuton,Tring andMilton Keynes.
During the 2022 season, Northamptonshire played in Division One of theCounty Championship. They also played in the North Division of theRoyal London One-Day Cup and the North Division of theT20 Blast.
Cricket had probably reached Northamptonshire by the end of the 17th century and the first two references to cricket in the county are within a few days of each other in 1741. On Monday 10 August, there was a match atWoburn Park between a Bedfordshire XI and a combined Northants and Huntingdonshire XI.[5] Woburn Cricket Club under the leadership of theDuke of Bedford was on the point of becoming a well known club. On Tuesday 18 August, a match played on the Cow Meadow near Northampton between two teams of amateurs from Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire is the earliest known instance of cricket being played in Northamptonshire county.
On 31 July 1878, the official formation of Northants CCC took place at a meeting in the George Hotel,Kettering based on an existing organisation that dated back to 1820. The 1820 date, if it could be verified, would make Northants the oldest club in the present-dayCounty Championship. The club came to prominence in theMinor Counties Championship during the 1890s as, between 1900 and 1904, the bowling ofGeorge Thompson and William East was much too good for almost all batsmen at that level. The county applied for first-class status in 1904 and was promoted the following year when it joined the County Championship. They played its inauguralfirst-class matchversusHampshire CCC at Southampton on 18, 19 & 20 May 1905 when making its County Championship debut.
Although Thompson and East proved themselves to be bowlers of high class, a weak batting line-up meant that the team remained close to the bottom of the championship table untilSydney Smith arrived in 1909. After three years in the middle of the table, Northants surprisingly improved to finish second in 1912 and fourth in 1913. Thompson, Smith and William "Bumper" Wells formed one of the strongest attacks in county cricket at the time, whilst Smith and Haywood were the county's best batsmen.
Thompson and Smith finished playing after World War I and, during the inter-war period, Northamptonshire were regularly one of the weaker championship sides. This was exacerbated whenVallance Jupp declined due to age and, despite the arrival ofNobby Clark, a young left arm fast bowler fromHuntingdonshire who burst onto the scene at the age of 20 in 1922 with 20 wickets at an average of 17.10 andFred Bakewell, an exciting batsman who regularly exceeded 1000 runs a season, Northamptonshire could only finish above second from last four times between 1923 and 1948, finishing last every year from 1934 to 1938 and enduring a run of 99 matches from 14 May 1935 to 29 May 1939 without a single championship victory, a record that has never been beaten and doesn't look like being beaten in the future. Things got worse for Northamptonshire during this time when Bakewell's career ended due to a broken arm in a car crash that also resulted in the fatality of teammate,Reginald Northway.[6]
After the Second World War, things could only get better for Northamptonshire and they started by recruiting widely from other counties and countries, bringing inFreddie Brown fromSurrey; the AustraliansJock Livingston,George Tribe and Jack Manning; the New ZealanderPeter Arnold; and theCambridge University opening bat and leg-spinnerRaman Subba Row. Brown joined ascaptain in 1949, and led the team to six place in his first season after previous years of disappointment.[7] Under the new leadership ofDennis Brookes (a stalwart batsman for over 20 years), finished second in 1957, their best finish for 45 years. This was mainly due to the bowling attack ofFrank Tyson,[8]Vincent Broderick,Michael Allen,George Tribe and Manning. Northamptonshire were widely considered the best team in England in the late 1950s and early 1960s, during this timeKeith Andrew, Northants best everWicket-keeper broke the records of most victims in an innings and a season.
Subsequently, the club has seen mixed fortunes. The club has had intermittent success inone-day competitions, but it has still not won the County Championship, although second place was achieved in each of 1957, 1965 and 1976. Nonetheless, it has included several famous players qualified for England, including the South African-born batsmanAllan Lamb; fast bowlerDavid Larter; the hard hitting openerColin Milburn, whose career was cut tragically short by an eye injury sustained in a car crash; the reliable batsmenDavid Steele andRob Bailey; opening batsmanWayne Larkins; and all-roundersPeter Willey andDavid Capel.
Several notable overseas players such asMatthew Hayden,Curtly Ambrose,André Nel,Kapil Dev,Mike Hussey,Sarfraz Nawaz,Mushtaq Mohammad,Anil Kumble,Dennis Lillee andBishen Bedi have starred for the club, which was particularly formidable as a one-day batting outfit in the late 1970s and early 1980s. More recently,Lance Klusener andMonty Panesar have been notable players.
Northants have recently been criticised for the number ofKolpak players in the team, but for the 2009 season there were only three inAndrew Hall,Johan van der Wath andNicky Boje, and only one in 2013 in Hall.
Northamptonshire have played in the domesticT20 Blast competition since its inaugural season in 2003. They play as the Northants Steeelbacks, taking their nickname from theNorthamptonshire Regiment.[9]
Under the captaincy ofAlex Wakely they first won the competition in 2013, defeating Surrey by 102 runs (D/L).[10] This was the first white ball trophy won by the county since 1992. After finishing runners up to Lancashire in the 2015 edition,[11] the Steelbacks once again won the competition in 2016, defeating Durham by 4 wickets.[12]
Most first-class runs for Northamptonshire
| Most first-class wickets for Northamptonshire
|
Team totals
| Record | Score | Opposition | Venue | Year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest total for | 781–7 declared | Nottinghamshire | Northampton | 1995 | [2] |
| Highest total against | 673–8 declared | Yorkshire | Headingley | 2003 | [3] |
| Lowest total for | 12 | Gloucestershire | Bristol | 1907 | [4] |
| Lowest total against | 33 | Lancashire | Northampton | 1977 | [5] |
| Player | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest scores[15] | 1. Mike Hussey 2. Mike Hussey 3. Mal Loye | 331* v .Somerset,County Ground, Taunton, 2003 329* v.Essex,County Ground,Northampton, 2001 322* v.Glamorgan,County Ground,Northampton, 1998 |
| Most runs in season[16] | 1. Dennis Brookes 2. Norman Oldfield 3. Mike Hussey | 2,198, 1952 2,192, 1949 2,055, 2001 |
Record partnership for each wicket
| Wicket | Score | Batting partners | Opposition | Venue | Year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 375 | R. A. White &M. J. Powell | Gloucestershire | Northampton | 2002 | [6] |
| 2nd | 344 | G. Cook &R. J. Boyd-Moss | Lancashire | Northampton | 1986 | [7] |
| 3rd | 393 | A. Fordham &A. J. Lamb | Yorkshire | Leeds | 1990 | [8] |
| 4th | 370 | R. T. Virgin &P. Willey | Somerset | Northampton | 1976 | [9] |
| 5th | 401 | M. B. Loye &D. Ripley | Glamorgan | Northampton | 1998 | [10] |
| 6th | 376 | R. Subba Row &A. Lightfoot | Surrey | The Oval | 1958 | [11] |
| 7th | 293 | D. J. G. Sales &D. Ripley | Essex | Northampton | 1999 | [12] |
| 8th | 179 | A. J. Hall &J. D. Middlebrook | Surrey | The Oval | 2011 | [13] |
| 9th | 156 | R. Subba Row &S. Starkie | Lancashire | Northampton | 1955 | [14] |
| 10th | 148 | B. W. Bellamy &J. V. Murdin | Glamorgan | Northampton | 1925 | [15] |
| Player | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Best bowling (innings)[17] | 1. Vallance Jupp 2. Albert Thomas 3. Vincent Broderick | 10–127 v.Kent,Nevill Ground,Tunbridge Wells, 1932 9–30 v.Yorkshire,Park Avenue,Bradford, 1920 9–35 v.Sussex,Cricketfield Road,Horsham, 1948 |
| Best bowling (match)[18] | 1. George Tribe 2. Vallance Jupp 3. George Tribe | 15–31 v.Yorkshire,County Ground,Northampton, 1958 15–52 v.Glamorgan,St Helen's,Swansea, 1925 15–75 v.Yorkshire,Park Avenue,Bradford, 1955 |
| Most wickets in season[19] | 1. George Tribe 2. George Thompson 3. Nobby Clark | 175, 1955 148, 1913 141, 1929 |
| Player | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Most victims in innings[20] | 1. Keith Andrew 2. David Ripley | 7 v.Lancashire,Old Trafford,Manchester, 1962 6 v.Sussex,County Ground,Northampton, 1988 |
| Most victims in season[21] | 1. Keith Andrew 2. David Ripley | 90, 1962 81, 1988 |
As with all county cricket clubs, Northamptonshire CCC represents the historic county and not any modern or current administrative unit. In Northamptonshire's case, this means the county ofNorthamptonshire and the Town ofNorthampton, although the club have in the past played some home matches outside the historic borders such as inLuton andMilton Keynes.
Northamptonshire first played at thecounty ground inNorthampton in1905, and continue to do so till this day even thoughNorthampton Town F.C. shared the ground up until 1994 whenthe Cobblers moved toSixfields Stadium. After the football club moved, the ground at the Abington Avenue was demolished and replaced by a new indoor school which includes seating looking on to the ground. In 2009, Northants cricket announced plans to improve the ground by building two new stands on thescoreboard side of the ground, there will also be a permanent commentary box with a view to have a 'miniLord's' style media centre.
This following table gives details of every venue at which Northamptonshire have hosted afirst-class,List A orTwenty20 cricket match:
| Name of ground | Location | Year | FC matches | LA matches | T20 matches | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Ground | Northampton | 1905–present | 969 | 341 | 17 | 1327 |
| Town Ground | Kettering | 1923–1973 | 65 | 4 | – | 69 |
| School Ground | Wellingborough | 1946–1991 | 43 | 17 | – | 60 |
| Town Ground | Peterborough | 1906–1966 | 46 | – | – | 46 |
| Wardown Park | Luton | 1973–2004 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 36 |
| Town Ground | Rushden | 1924–1963 | 22 | – | – | 22 |
| Tring Park | Tring | 1974–1991 | – | 16 | – | 16 |
| Manor Fields | Bletchley | 1976–1987 | 3 | 7 | – | 10 |
| Baker Perkins | Peterborough | 1967–1974 | 3 | 5 | – | 8 |
| Campbell Park | Milton Keynes | 1997–present | – | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Buckingham Road | Brackley | 1971–1975 | – | 4 | – | 4 |
| Dolben Ground | Finedon | 1986–1989 | – | 3 | – | 3 |
| Bedford School | Bedford | 1971–1982 | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Horton House | Horton | 1976–1977 | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Ideal Clothiers Ground | Wellingborough | 1929 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Stowe School | Stowe | 2005 | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Source:CricketArchive Updated: 6 November 2009 | ||||||
The Northamptonshire squad for the 2023 season consists of (this section could change as players are released or signed):
| No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||
| 3 | Matthew Breetzke ‡ |  South Africa | (1998-11-03)3 November 1998 (age 26) | Right-handed | — | Overseas player |
| 14 | George Bartlett |  England | (1998-03-14)14 March 1998 (age 27) | Right-handed | Right-armoff break | |
| 27 | Ricardo Vasconcelos* | South Africa | (1997-10-27)27 October 1997 (age 27) | Left-handed | — | Portuguese passport |
| 75 | Justin Broad ‡ |  Germany | (2000-06-30)30 June 2000 (age 24) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | |
| — | Arush Buchake | England | (2006-07-24)24 July 2006 (age 18) | Right-handed | — | |
| — | Krish Patel | England | (2005-12-02)2 December 2005 (age 19) | Right-handed | Right-armleg break | |
| — | Aadi Sharma | England | (2006-02-23)23 February 2006 (age 19) | Right-handed | Right-armleg break | |
| All-rounders | ||||||
| 2 | Luke Procter* | England | (1988-06-24)24 June 1988 (age 36) | Left-handed | Right-armmedium | Club captain |
| 5 | James Sales | England | (2003-02-11)11 February 2003 (age 22) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | |
| 18 | Saif Zaib | England | (1998-05-22)22 May 1998 (age 26) | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
| 21 | Rob Keogh* | England | (1991-10-21)21 October 1991 (age 33) | Right-handed | Right-armoff break | |
| 23 | David Willey* ‡ | England | (1990-02-28)28 February 1990 (age 35) | Left-handed | Left-armfast-medium | Captain (T20) |
| 24 | Gus Miller | England | (2002-01-08)8 January 2002 (age 23) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | |
| 25 | Ravi Bopara ‡ | England | (1985-05-04)4 May 1985 (age 39) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | White ball contract |
| 46 | Ashton Agar ‡ |  Australia | (1993-10-14)14 October 1993 (age 31) | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | Overseas player (T20 only) |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| 15 | Lewis McManus | England | (1994-10-09)9 October 1994 (age 30) | Right-handed | — | Vice-captain (First-class/List A) |
| Bowlers | ||||||
| 26 | Ben Sanderson* | England | (1989-01-03)3 January 1989 (age 36) | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | |
| 80 | Freddie Heldreich | England | (2001-09-12)12 September 2001 (age 23) | Right-handed | Slow left-arm unorthodox | |
| 84 | Raphael Weatherall | England | (2004-10-24)24 October 2004 (age 20) | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | |
| 98 | George Scrimshaw ‡ | England | (1998-02-10)10 February 1998 (age 27) | Right-handed | Right-armfast | |
| — | Yuzvendra Chahal ‡ |  India | (1990-07-23)23 July 1990 (age 34) | Right-handed | Right-armleg break | Overseas player |
| — | Liam Guthrie | Australia | (1997-04-09)9 April 1997 (age 27) | Left-handed | Left-armfast-medium | UK passport |
| — | Dom Leech | England | (2001-01-10)10 January 2001 (age 24) | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | |
| — | Tiaan Louw | England | (2006-04-16)16 April 2006 (age 18) | Left-handed | Left-armfast-medium | |
This list is compiled of international cricketers who have playedTest and/orODI cricket. It also includes players who have been mentioned in the '100 Greats: Northamptonshire County Cricket Club' book.[22] Therefore, making them notable to the county and international cricket scene.
England
Usman AfzaalMichael AllenKeith AndrewRob BaileyFred BakewellDesmond BarrickBill BarronBenjamin BellamyRavi BoparaRobin Boyd-MossVincent BroderickDennis BrookesFreddie BrownDavid CapelBob CarterNobby ClarkGeoff CookNick CookBob CottamBrian CrumpBen DuckettJohn DyeJohn EmbureyAlan FordhamFrederick JakemanVallance JuppAllan LambWayne LarkinsDavid LarterAlbert LightfootMal LoyeDevon MalcolmNeil MallenderAustin MatthewsColin MilburnJohn MurdinBuddy OldfieldMonty PanesarTony PenberthyRoger PrideauxDavid RipleyDavid SalesGeorge SharpSydney SmithDavid SteeleRaman Subba RowHaydn SullyGraeme SwannPaul TaylorAlbert ThomasGeorge ThompsonJohn TimmsFrank TysonRoy VirginFanny WaldenDavid WilleyPeter WilleyClaud WoolleyAustralia
Trent CopelandIan HarveyMatthew HaydenMike HusseyPhil JaquesDennis LilleeJock LivingstonMartin LoveChris LynnMatthew NicholsonChris RogersGeorge TribeCameron WhiteSouth Africa
Hylton AckermanNicky BojeJohan BothaAndrew HallRichard LeviJohann LouwRory KleinveldtLance KlusenerAndré NelJohan van der WathMartin van JaarsveldIndia
Pakistan
West Indies
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Ireland
Sri Lanka
Scotland
A complete list of officially appointed Northamptonshire captains can be found here:List of Northamptonshire cricket captains.
Notable captains:
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Northamptonshire do not automatically award caps to players on their first appearance; instead, they have to be 'earned' through good performances. In recent times, cricketers who are awarded a county cap are given a new cap with yellow stripes on the maroon instead of a plain maroon cap. The following players have received caps:
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