John Sadler and Chris Liddle will join Northamptonshire’s coaching staff in 2020, Head Coach David Ripley has revealed.

“I’m very, very pleased with the two lads we’ve got. We had over 70 people apply for the posts, they were in-demand jobs and we’re really pleased the pair have accepted.” Ripley said.

John Sadler will take on the role of Assistant First Team Coach and brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience, most recently as Assistant Coach to Paul Nixon at Leicestershire. 

“I’m absolutely delighted to be involved and looking forward to getting stuck in with the lads. Part of the reason I wanted to be involved was to be involved in Division One cricket, it’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to us competing.” Sadler said.

“I’m here to support Rips and the two captains first and foremost but then to bring support and expertise with the batters mainly.”

David Ripley was looking forward to welcoming the experience of Sadler to his support staff.

“He’s got a lot of experience already from his stints at Derby and Leicester and we’ve seen definite growth in the players he’s worked with.

Having got to know him over the last two or three years I just see a safe pair of hands and a hard-working bloke with a lot to give to the team, he’s just a banker really.”

Following recent success working as a bowling consultant with the Netherlands national side, former Sussex and Gloucestershire left-armer Chris Liddle will work closely with the bowling group.

“I remember coming back from the World T20 Qualifiers and saying to my wife I think the time is right now to move to coaching. I got a real buzz off working with the players, putting plans in place and seeing them come to life and the way we went about that World Cup Qualifier was brilliant.” Liddle said.

Ripley said it was Liddle’s enthusiasm for the role that made him stand out through the interview process.

“Chris just bowled us over with his enthusiasm, it was just bursting when he came in. He’d just come back with Holland, winning that competition to qualify for the T20 World Cup and he just captured us all. He came up a bit on the rails, but we unanimously thought he was the right guy for the job.”

Liddle will move directly from a successful playing career into his first full-time coaching role, a change that he says has been building for some time.

“I’ve been transitioning into coaching for quite a while, working with various teams and counties I’ve played for and the last couple of years with the Netherlands. Going to different series and the World Cup Qualifiers has put me in good stead for my next step now working with the bowlers at Northamptonshire.”

While both new appointments will focus primarily on the First Team, they’ll also lend expertise through other Northamptonshire sides.

“It’s a slight shuffle of the setup, we’ve got to find the right balance of deploying our resources to get the most out of them. Both lads are very keen to get stuck into the youth structure and know we need to continue to support the academy and EPP, particularly through the winter.” Ripley said.

“It’s a good model when you’ve got someone like Emilio Gay come through onto your professional staff and you’ve been coaching him since he was 13. It’s nice coaching with the Academy because you just turn up and coach, often as a Head Coach you can get dragged into more management style things, so it’s nice to just walk into the hall and be coaching.

“Working with the pathway is what Phil Rowe did and something David Sales still does with the young players. So having that kind of experience with John, Chris and myself all dotted around as well, it shows we value it and I think that’s how it should be.”

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