Northants head coach Lehmann delighted with ‘excellent’ coaching team at the County Ground

Lehmann is quickly settling into his role as Northants head coach, and has been impressed by the work of bowling and assistant coach Rory Kleinveldt, lead batting coach Greg Smith and fielding and spin bowling coach Graeme White.

Due to his radio commentary commitments with ABC, Lehmann was unable to start work in person at Wantage Road until mid-February, but he was in regular contact with the coaching team as they got down to work with the players in Northampton.

And he says he has been impressed with the input and work of the trio, who were all part of previous head coach John Sadler's backroom staff.

"They have been excellent, really good, and part of my role is to make sure they are ready to go when I finish up here, and it is great to get to know people," said Lehmann of the coaching team.

"I have played against Rory, but I didn't know him as well as I do know, and then there is Whitey and Smithy.

"I am really happy with them, their work ethic is excellent, second to none, and their knowledge of the game is brilliant."

Former Australia coach Lehmann was appointed as the new Northants coach in October, but opted not to bring any backroom staff with him for his first coaching stint in English cricket.

And he added: "Some people go in and say 'I want my own coaching staff', and I want this and I want that.

"But sometimes you are better to go into a place and you might meet somebody that actually does it better than you have had before.

"So I am really happy the club kept the three of them, I am really looking forward to working with them and they have been excellent so far."

Lehmann and his coaching team will get the chance to get to know each other even better over the next couple of weeks, with the whole squad jetting off to Stellenbosch in South Africa on Friday (March 7) for an eight-day warm weather training camp.

The team will also play a two-day red ball friendly against Gloucestershire, and Lehmann says the change of scenery will be a real 'fillip' for the squad - particularly those who have spent most of the winter working in the indoor school.

"Going to South Africa will be good, to get the players outdoors, as our players who have been indoors are just about done with it," said Lehmann.

"A lot of the blokes have been here long enough, and indoor cricket doesn't help them play a seaming ball in the middle of April, so the sooner we get outside the better.

"South Africa is going to be a great fillip for the players themselves, and I am looking forward to it.

"When you are outdoors the ball bounces less, it does more, the bowlers get a full run-up, all those kinds of things, and we are really happy to be going."