Cricket returns to the County Ground as Northants take on Oxford UCCE in pre-season friendly

Northants finally bring to an end a long, long winter of hard work and preparation when they take to the field in their opening friendly of the 2024 campaign on Tuesday morning.

The County host Oxford UCCE in a three-day friendly at Wantage Road (start 11am), as work is ramped up a futher notch ahead of next week's LV= Insurance Championship opener against Sussex at Hove.

It has been a long off-season for head coach John Sadler and his players, who have been hard at work at the County Ground and elsewhere since last November.

Sadler has been delighted with how the winter has gone, culminating in the squad jetting off at he beginning of this month for intensive training camps, with the batting line-up going to India and the bowlers to South Africa.

The weather has also been kind since the squad’s return to the UK, which has allowed the Northants players to get outside and work in the nets at the County Ground, and the head coach says his squad is in 'a great place' on the eve of the 2024 season.

"We are going to treat the Oxford match properly, and we want to go and put on a good performance," said Sadler.

"As I have said before, the competition for places is higher than I have ever known it, and when I am trying to pick a side, it is changing all the time, but we are at the business end now.

"We have had a great winter, the lads have bonded, they have worked hard together, they are fitter than they have ever been and the skills are up there.

"As of this week it is the business end, and they are all fighting for places which is going to give me some nice headaches, and the Oxford game is the first chance for people to go out and stake a claim.

"There are couple of niggling injuries which we are monitoring, but hopefully there is nothing serious with them. I think we are in a great place."

The match could offer up the chance for new signing George Bartlett to play his first game for the club following his switch from Somerset, but fellow new face and fast bowler George Scrimshaw is unlikely to feature as he nurses a toe injury.

Overseas signings Chris Tremain and Karun Nair, who are contracted for the opening four and seven matches of the season respectively, also won't feature, as they are not due to arrive in the country until the weekend.

The pair may then feature in the two-day friendly against Nottinghamshire that starts at Trent Bridge on Easter Monday.

Northants begin their Championship campaign on Friday, April 5, when they take on Sussex at Hove.

Admission for all three days of the Oxford UCCE match is free for all.