Batsman Richard Levi signs new one-year deal at Northants

The South African has been with the County since 2013, and he will be staying on for at least another 12 months.

Levi has signed on after the club secured promotion to the Specsavers County Championship Division One, and he admits he is looking forward to the challenge of top flight cricket.

“It’s a really exciting time for everyone at the club and I’m looking forward to what’s next for us in division one next season.” said the Johannesburg-born batsman.

“We’ve got a great group of lads and there’s a lot of belief in the group, hopefully I can contribute to the side in all formats.”

The 31-year-old is perhaps better known as a big-hitting batsman in the white-ball game, but he did play a key role in the County's promotion bid from division two at the end of the season, including a vital 60 against Durham in the penultimate fixture.

In all, he has scored 5,703 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 36.55, scoring 10 centuries and 32 half-centuries.

Levi signing his contract extension follows on from a similar deal for fellow batsman Charlie Thurston, and the capture of Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.