Northants continue to negotiate new deal with key man Levi

The big-hitting batsman topped the Steelbacks’ averages on the way to the NatWest T20 Blast final.

And he has become a key component of the side, especially in white ball competitions in which he excels as an opener.

He has also shown his worth in the Championship, scoring 663 runs in 11 four-day matches this season.

And Ripley is desperate to retain Levi’s services for the next campaign.

“We’ve opened negotiations there and we’re hoping we’ll be able to reach an agreement with Richard,” said Ripley.

“It’s still a little bit subject to the signing off of the budget next week, but we’ve started talking and we certainly would like him to stay.

“It’s just working through the formality of knowing exactly what the budget is, but that process is ongoing.”