BREAKING: Northants Steelbacks skipper David Willey signs new contract
Northants Steelbacks skipper David Willey has signed a new three-year contract to extend his stay at the cinch County Ground.
The former England all-rounder has put pen to paper on a deal that will see him stay at Wantage Road until at least the end of the summer of 2029.
Willey is the club's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 128 scalps, and has captained the Steelbacks in the Vitality Blast since his return to the club from Yorkshire ahead of the 2023 season, having left his home county in 2015.
The Steelbacks have made real progress in short-format cricket under his leadership, reaching the Blast quarter-finals in 2024 and then qualifying for Finals Day for the first time in nine years last season.
Northants were beaten by a Chris Lynn-inspired Hampshire in the semi-finals, but they are well in the hunt for a return to Edgbaston for another crack in 2026, having won their first six Central & West Group games.
“As a club we’ve come a long way over the past four years," said Willey, who was brought back to the club by former head coach John Sadler and immediately installed as T20 captain instead of Josh Cobb.
"Personally I’ve put a lot of hard work into this team and the environment and it’s definitely not been easy at times.
“I think everybody can see the progress that’s been made and I’m hungry to continue to build on this over the coming years.”
Now 36, Willey is one of English cricket's leading all-rounders in the T20 format, having racked up 5,009 runs and taken 378 wickets.
He is also currently joint top of the Steelbacks' T20 appearance table, sitting alongside former captain Alex Wakely on 133 games.
Willey will be out on his own on 134 starts when he leads Northants out against Essex at the cinch County Ground on Friday night (start 6.30pm).