Big boost for Steelbacks as Rory gets ready to return at Durham

Northants are set to receive a big boost with the news that Rory Kleinveldt will be available to face Durham Jets in Friday's NatWest T20 Blast game at the Riverside Ground.
Rory Kleinveldt is ready to make his Northants return at Durham on Friday night (picture: Peter Short)Rory Kleinveldt is ready to make his Northants return at Durham on Friday night (picture: Peter Short)
Rory Kleinveldt is ready to make his Northants return at Durham on Friday night (picture: Peter Short)

Kleinveldt has not played since suffering a side strain while smashing a stunning 128 from just 63 balls in the Royal London One-Day Cup defeat at Nottinghamshire Outlaws on June 6.

He has been working his way back to full fitness and could have played against Nottinghamshire in the T20 game at the County Ground last Friday.

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But the decision was taken to give the South African all-rounder an extra week to reach peak condition and Kleinveldt will now be available to take on the Jets this week.

“In the week before the Notts game we sat down with Rory and mapped out what we thought we’d do,” Steelbacks head coach David Ripley said.

“Playing against Notts was a possiblity at that stage, but it was just a bit too much of a gamble, given the seriousness of his injury, to rush him back.

“The form we’d shown since he’d been away meant we didn’t think we needed to rush him back.

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“It was more about giving him another week, step up his cricket and then he’ll be absolutely 100 per cent by the time we go to Durham and available for some big games after that.”

The Steelbacks were beaten by six wickets by Nottinghamshire last Friday, but remain top of the North Group with just four games remaining.