Australian ace Nathan McSweeney signs new deal to return to Northants in 2027

The classy Australian batter has enjoyed a superb start to life at the cinch County Ground, excelling in both red and white ball cricket so far this summer.

And he has now committed to another campaign at Wantage Road, putting pen to paper on a new all-format deal that will see him stay a Steelback until the end of next summer.

The 27-year-old has already hit three centuries for the club in first-class cricket, and is the leading scorer in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two, racking up 589 runs at 49.08.

McSweeney has also had an impact in the Vitality Blast, with his unbeaten 72 in Wednesday night's eight-wicket win at Gloucestershire his second half-century of the campaign.

He has so far hit 199 runs at an average of 39.80, with an impressive strike-rate of 139.16.

McSweeney, who has just captained South Australia to back-to-back Sheffield Shield titles, has also been named Steelbacks captain for the upcoming Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign.

"I’m delighted to be extending my time with Northamptonshire," said McSweeney.

"From the moment I arrived I was made to feel welcome by the players, coaches, staff and supporters, and that made the decision to stay a very easy one.

"I’m grateful for the faith the club has shown in me and I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute both on and off the field.

"Hopefully there are plenty of successful moments ahead for Northamptonshire, and I’m excited to be a part of that journey."

The club has announced that McSweeney will be available for the whole of the 2027 summer, but those plans will need to be altered if the player is selected for the Australia squad heading to the UK for the 2027 Ashes.

McSweeney currently has three Test caps to his name, all against India at the end of 2024.

The dates for the Ashes series have yet to be confirmed.