Big-hitting Kimber can't wait to get cracking for the Steelbacks in the Blast

Louis Kimber admits he 'can't wait' for the Northants Steelbacks' Vitality Blast campaign to get underway this weekend.

The big-hitting all-rounder is in line for his Northants white ball debut when they host Glamorgan in their Central & West Group opener at cinch County Ground on Friday night (start 6.30pm).

Kimber is no stranger to playing T20 cricket at Wantage Road, having turned out for previous club Leicestershire Foxes in the past, but he is looking forward to now being backed by the home crowd for a change!

And he will do it on a high as he comes off the back of his match-winning knock in Monday's dramatic two-wicket win over Gloucestershire in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two.

Speaking to BBC Northampton after that victory, Kimber admitted: "I can't wait for the T20.

"For the past couple of weeks I have been practising quite a lot for the white ball stuff with bat and ball.

"I can't wait for it to get going and I think we have a great opportunity in that competition.

"We have a great squad, and there are some very, very dangerous players in there with bat and ball.

"Hopefully we start the competition off nicely, and take the momentum from Monday's win into the T20 on Friday."

Kimber was an unlikely hero in Bristol, having not even been selected for the four-day encounter,

But he was drafted in as a replacement ahead of day three when Saif Zaib was ruled out after suffering a concussion, and it proved to be a key moment.

Walking to the crease with Northants needing 95 to win and just four wickets in hand, Kimber took the attack to Gloucestershire to hit a quickfire 66 and set up a County victory.

Asked if his T20 preparation had helped him, Kimber admitted: "The day before, I was having a white ball hit and trying to hit every ball for six.

"So that did probably help with my intent of looking to score from the off and looking to put the bowlers under pressure where I could."