Pace bowler Ben Sanderson signs new deal at Northants

Sanderson has been a prolific wicket-taker in the past few years, taking 60 wickets as the County were promoted from Specsavers County Championship Division Two last summer.

That was a tally he matched in 2018, and means the 30-year-old has taken more wickets than any other bowler at the club,and has an excellent first-class career bowling average of just 20.

“I’m really pleased to have locked in my future at Northamptonshire," said Sanderson, who was signed from minor counties cricket by Northants in 2015, having been released by Yorkshire four years earlier.

"It’s a great club and I’ve loved playing here over the last few years.

“We’ve got a real quality group together and there’s talent everywhere in that dressing room.

"We’ll definitely be considered the underdogs (in division one), but if we play to our potential I think we might surprise a few people next year.”

Club captain Adam Rossington is delighted that Sanderson, whose contract was due to end at the end of next season, has committed his future to the club.

He said: "It’s great that Ben has committed to Northamptonshire for another three years.

"It’s brilliant for the club to have a bowler with Ben’s skills and you’ll struggle to find a more consistent performer in county cricket over the last few years.”

"He’s just unplayable at times with the new ball.”

Head coach David Ripley believes Sanderson choosing to commit his future to the club has sent out a strong message.

“In the past there's been cases where we’ve lost some of our best players to other clubs towards the back end of contracts," said Ripley, who has seen the likes of David Willey, Ben Duckett and Richard Gleeson all depart in recent years.

"So for a guy at the top of his game like Ben to commit to us is a really strong message that he believes we can be competitive next year and he's flourishing in our environment.”

In all, Sheffield-born Sanderson has claimed an impressive 233 wickets in first-class cricket, at an average of just 20.06.

He is also a more than handy performer in white ball cricket, having claimed 39 wickets in his T20 career, and 37 in 50-over cricket.