T20 Blast bite-size preview: Northamptonshire Steelbacks

Cricket365
May 14, 2014

Title winners last year, the Steelbacks will want to prove they are not a one-hit wonder. With Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer at the helm in the absence of the injured Alex Wakely, the change in leadership must not affect a fluid follow-up.

Brief Overview: Title winners last year, the Steelbacks will want to prove they are not a one-hit wonder. With Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer at the helm in the absence of the injured Alex Wakely, the change in leadership must not affect a fluid follow-up.

Venue: Wantage Road, in the Abington area of Northampton, is known for favouring spinners. The County Ground hosted two 1999 World Cup matches – South Africa's victory over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh's first ever World Cup victory against eventual finalists Pakistan by 62 runs.

Batsman To Watch: A back injury has hampered all-rounder David Willey's season and, while he might not be able to bowl, he sports more than enough ability with the willow to be selected as a specialist batsman.

Bowler To Watch: Seamer Muhammad Azharullah was second to no-one in the 2013 Friends Life t20, screaming through 27 wickets in a dozen matches. The benchmark, indeed, has been set – for him and his adversaries.

Overseas Signings: Northants will enjoy the fruits of New Zealand, as left-arm seamer Neil Wagner and right-arm counterpart Ian Butler arrive. South African Richard Levi, too, is there and thereabouts.

Know Your Mascot: Steeler the Dog sports as much bark as he does bite – and has plenty of backing in the wake of a very successful T20 campaign in 2013.

Cricket365's Prediction: Eighth in North Division.