Northants replace Breetzke with New Zealand international Robinson

With Matt Breetzke unavailable from this weekend until mid-July after being called into the South Africa squad for a two-Test series against Zimbabwe, head coach Darren Lehmann has moved to bring in cover.

Batter Robinson, who has played 10 T20 internationals and three one-day internationals for the Black Caps, is joining Northants to play in their next two Championship matches, against Middlesex and Kent, as well as four Vitality Blast encounters next month.

Breetzke, who will play for the Steelbacks in this Friday's clash with Notts Outlaws before heading off on international duty, will return to play the final two Blast North Group games at Birmingham Bears (July 13) and Durham (July 18).

"I'm super excited to be with Northamptonshire over the next month," said Robinson.

"I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and contributing as much as I can in both the County Championship and the Blast."

The 23-year-old, who was born in Wellington, has scored more than 1,000 runs in T20 cricket since making his professional debut in 2021.

For Wellington and Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, the opener has scored 988 runs with a strike rate just over 140.

His one century was the second-highest total in Super Smash history with 139 for Wellington in 2023, and he has also scored six other half-centuries.

In T20is, he has scored 193 runs at an average of 21.44 with a top score of 51, which was made against Pakistan.

In first-class cricket, Robinson has played 17 times and has scored one century and six 50s, averaging 27.

"Tim's a strong young man," said Lehmann. "He hits the ball big and opens the batting in white ball so it’s a real like-for-like replacement (for Breetzke).

"He looks like a really good player so fingers crossed he gets some runs for us and plays well across both formats."

Robinson is set to make his debut for Northants in Sunday's County Championship clash with Middlesex at Wantage Road.

He is then available for the trip to Kent a week later, as well as the first four T20 games to be played in July, starting with the home date against Lancashire Lightning om Friday, July 4.