Head coach Lehmann tells Northants' top order they have to up their game

The County's head coach is back in Northampton after spending the winter in his native Australia, and is now preparing his squad for the opening match of the division two campaign against Lancashire that starts on Friday, April 3.

Lehmann worked as a commentator for ABC on the Ashes, but stayed in close contact with his coaching staff of Glenn Chapple, Greg Smith and Graeme White back at the County Ground.

They have all been working hard with the players who wintered in the UK, and they and Lehmann are now focusing on the countdown to the new red ball campaign.

Northants endured a tough 2025 in the Championship in Lehmann's first season in charge, finishing second bottom of division two, winning just two of their 14 matches, and he is expecting a big improvement this summer - especially from the batters.

Aside from the obvious exception of Saif Zaib, who hit 1,425 runs at an average of 64.77 and racked up six centuries along the way, it was a difficult year for many of the rest.

The other two batters to average more than 40 were Justin Broad (646 runs at 43.06) and skipper Luke Procter (787 at 41.42), who both scored two tons apiece, while loanee Calvin Harrison showed promise as he scored a century and two half-centuries to tally 456 runs at 32.57.

Aside from Kiwi import Tim Robinson, no other batter averaged more than 30, and Lehmann will expect more this term from the likes of Rob Keogh, Ricardo Vasconcelos, George Bartlett, James Sales and Lewis McManus.

Lehmann is happy the squad is strenghtened by the arrival of Australian batter Nathan McSweeney, who joins fellow new recruits Louis Kimber and Harrison, who has signed on permanently having spent much of last season on loan at Wantage Road.

"Our Championship campaign finished on a downward slide," said Lehmann, talking to SteelbacksTV.

"We played a lot of young kids because you have to see what you've got in the depth of your squad, and I think we could have won a couple of extra games as well if the weather hadn't played its part, but that’s what you get in cricket.

"So I liked what I saw at times, but we just have to improve in a few areas, and especially the batting.

"The top six have got to make more runs this year, and hopefully we have strengthened that area up with Nathan McSweeney coming in.

"I like the recruitment of Calvin Harrison and Louis Kimber, so we have a bit more depth in our squad, which I think you need as you need pressure for places.

"The players know they have got to be able to perform in the second team, and then if you are in the first team and not performing then sadly sometimes you have to make way.

"You can't just keep playing the way we have been playing, because we haven't been scoring enough runs. So runs are the big commodity for us as I think we have enough bowling options to get 20 wickets."