Kleinveldt ready for 'big winter' as Northants target improvement in 2025

Northants bowling coach Rory KleinveldtNorthants bowling coach Rory Kleinveldt
Northants bowling coach Rory Kleinveldt
​Rory Kleinveldt says he and everybody else at Northants has 'a big winter' ahead of them as they strive to ensure next summer is a more successful one than 2024.

A difficult season came to an end on Sunday as Northants played out a rain-affected draw at Headingley against Yorkshire, the home side having much the better of a one-sided affair to clinch promotion back to the top flight.

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The result left Northants, boosted by two welcome wins in the two matches prior to the Yorkshire showdown, in fourth place in the Vitality County Championship Division Two, but a hefty 56 points adrift of the top two and promotion.

The County failed to win any of their opening 11 four-day games and at one point sat rock-bottom of the table, a run of results that ultimately led to the dismissal of head coach John Sadler in early September.

John Sadler lost his job as the Northamptonshire head coach in early SeptemberJohn Sadler lost his job as the Northamptonshire head coach in early September
John Sadler lost his job as the Northamptonshire head coach in early September

Bowling coach Kleinveldt, along with batting coach Greg Smith and second team coach Graeme White, oversaw the final three matches of the campaign.

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The search is ongoing for a new head coach, but Kleinveldt knows that whoever is handed that role moving forward, there is a lot of work to be done at the County Ground.

And it is in Kleinveldt's specialist area, the bowling, that the South African feels the most attention is needed.

"I think if we look back at the summer, our Achilles heel was probably not taking 20 wickets," Kleinveldt told BBC Northampton.

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"You need to take 20 wickets if you want to win red ball games, and not having Jack White around for most of the summer was probably quite critical towards that.

"It is good learning for young bowlers that have come in, but it is probably an area we might look to reinforce for next summer, the bowling department.

"I think our batters performed pretty well this summer, so looking forwards it is about getting bowlers who can take 20 wickets for us.

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“Our batters have put their hands up this season and played really nicely. But we have a lot of things we have to work on."

And he added: “I think it’s been a season of missed opportunities, really.

"There have been a few games where we possibly could have won, rolled the dice a bit earlier maybe to try and force a result.

"But it wasn’t meant to be."

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As well as the struggles in the Championship Northants were poor in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, with the one bright spot of the year being the qualification from the North Group of the Vitality Blast and the earning of a home quarter-final for the first time in eight years.

Although that also ended in disappointment as the Steelbacks were beaten by Somerset.

Kleinveldt feels too many players had to play too many games across the three formats, but also accepts that what was produced on the pitch wasn't up the requred standard often enough.

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"I think where we struggled a little bit is with the squad size, we don't have the biggest squad so having to spread that over three formats is quite tough through the summer," he said.

"The bigger counties have the luxury of probably only picking certain people for certain formats, whereas our players have to play all formats.

"That just adds to the load, but in saying that we have to find a way.

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"There are no excuses, and we should be a lot better than what we are to be honest."

Kleinveldt was then asked about how he sees his role at the club in the future.

Brought to the club last winter by Sadler, the South African says he wants to stay on and work with the players over the winter, but admitted: "It is a difficult one for me to answer, but we will see how it goes.

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"We will go through all the processes of trying to find a new head coach and all those kind of things, and we will see what comes of it.

"For me at the moment though as a bowling coach, I think it is going to be a big winter to get the guys up to speed for next season."

Kleinveldt is in his second spell with Northants, having also enjoyed an excellent playing career at Wantage Road, and he says he has 'loved' being back at the County Ground.

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"I have absolutely loved it," declared the 41-year-old. "Getting to know the guys this year has been nice, but we have lots of work ahead of us.

"I am looking forward to the winter and improving skills and getting the guys ready for next summer."