Lehmann lavishes praise on Sanderson as Northants ace goes top of bowling charts
"When you bowl like that, he is getting world class players out.”
Head coach Darren Lehmann has lavished high praise on Northants seam bowler Ben Sanderson after his match-winning performance in the dramatic win over Worcestershire at the County Ground.
An Ashes and World Cup winner as Australia coach, and a world-class batter during his playing career as well, Lehmann has bracketed Sanderson's seven-wicket haul alongside the sort of performances produced in the past by the likes of Jimmy Anderson and Mitchell Johnson.
With Worcestershire looking to bat out for a draw in the Rothesay County Championshp Division Two clash, Sanderson produced a stunning spell of six for seven on Sunday to spark a collapse that saw the Pears lose eight wickets for 26 as Northants won by an innings and 177 runs.
His 11-wicket match haul saw Sanderson become the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket this season.
He now has 25 wickets at 15.92 apiece, one more than Durham’s Ben Raine and two more than Lancashire and England legend Anderson.
Sanderson, who is now 37, produced a series of unplayable deliveries in his spell against Worcester, bowling four batters, and Lehmann was asked if he had ever seen a performance like it.
"Mitchell Johnson was pretty special in the 2013/14 Ashes, where someone turns the game on its head," he told BBC Radio Northampton.
"I think in Adelaide he got seven for not many, and that was a pretty good England team.
"So I have seen that, but that was a fear factor, Sunday's was pure bowling class. You see Jimmy Anderson do that, but Ben Sanderson did it on Sunday and he has been excellent all season.
"We know he can shoulder the whole lot and we have to make sure we look after him and it's a challenge for us as a side. He is an all-format player for us so we have to find out where we go with that and how it looks, but he was excellent.
"When you bowl like that, he is getting world class players out. We talk about hitting the top of off stump, he did it four times and that is amazing.
"But he has been excellent throughout his whole career, and he has really grown into the leadership role as well.
"Between him, Harry Conway and Glenn Ghapple they are formulating a really good group, and are trying to help the next rung too.", but he has been excellent throughout his whole career."
Northants are back in Championship action on Friday when they go to Derbyshire (start 11am).
Quotes courtesy of Andrew Radd / BBC Northampton