Lehmann happy to see Scrimshaw’s hard work rewarded with career-best T20 haul

It has not been an easy time for Scrimshaw since he signed for Northants ahead of the 2024 campaign, with a back injury ending his first season at the County Ground before it really had a chance to get started.

But the former Derbyshire and England man, who turned 27 in February, has worked hard on his fitness over the winter and into the start of this summer, and it appears that hard work is paying dividends.

Scrimshaw has been an ever-present in the Steelbacks Blast team this summer, and claimed career-best T20 figures of four for 19 as Lightning were beaten, and he now has eight wickets in total at 19.75 apiece.

"George summed up the conditions well and bowled a better length, as maybe he has been a fraction short on occasions," Lehmann told BBC Northampton.

"He has been working really hard on that so I thought he bowled a beautiful length.

"He used his slower ball at the right time, his bumper at the right time, and got his rewards for that so I am really pleased for him.

"He has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to be fit and firing, and he has certainly got some pace and he has got some height and he used it well on Sunday."

Scrimshaw will be hoping to maintain his good form when the Steelbacks host Birmingham Bears on Wednesday night in a game that is being broadcast live on Sky Sports (start 6.30pm).

Northants go into the game sitting pretty at the top of the North Group table, eight points clear after five straight wins to begin their campaign.

The Bears are fifth, having won two and lost two of their four matches to date.