After a week off, Northamptonshire return to County Championship action as they welcome Worcestershire to The County Ground.
Northamptonshire are currently fourth in the Division Two table, having drawn all three games. With 10 batting bonus points, Northamptonshire have the most in the league and have the joint second most bowling points with 9.
Darren Lehmann has named a squad of 14 for tomorrow’s encounter, with Justin Broad named in the squad but unlikely to play. His involvement will be subject to fitness, with the all-rounder recovering from a back problem that has ruled him out of the start of the season. Broad has been playing 2XI cricket and scored 132 vs Loughborough UCCE on Wednesday. George Scrimshaw has also been added to the squad.
Liam Guthrie is absent this week after he returned to Australia for personal reasons. The Club hope that he will be back and available for next week’s fixture against Derbyshire.
Play will get underway at 11am with lunch at 1pm and tea scheduled for 3:40pm. There are 96 overs scheduled for each day and all four days of the fixture will be live streamed on the Steelbacks TV YouTube channel.
The Hevey Restaurant will be open from Days 1-3 and has availability on all three days. The Hevey Suite will open from start of play for spectators to watch the match from the decking area.
The Long Room will be open for members. The Mushtaq Bar is open with full bar and snacks available. Nuts For Your Coffee will be located by the groundsman’s hut, serving hot and cold drinks and food.
Northamptonshire squad to face Worcestershire:
Luke Procter (c), George Bartlett, Justin Broad, Harry Conway, Calvin Harrison, Louis Kimber, Lewis McManus (wk), Nathan McSweeney, James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Raphy Weatherall, Saif Zaib
We spoke to Darren Lehmann before the match to discuss having a week off, facing off against Worcestershire and looking to get a win on the board.
Opponent Preview:
Worcestershire
Previewed by Brian Halford, ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Head coach: Alan Richardson
2025 finish: 10th (in Division One, relegated)
2025 highest run-scorer: Jake Libby (1,060)
2025 highest wicket-taker: Tom Taylor (58)
Key winter moves: Worcestershire have signed South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel on a red-ball contract for 2026. The 27-year-old will be available for the whole Rothesay County Championship season, his second stint in England after a spell with Kent in 2024. Despite the recent yo-yo history having continued with relegation last year, the squad assembled by the Pears over recent years appears strong enough to challenge for another promotion.