INTERVIEW: New Northamptonshire skipper Luke Procter aiming high in 2023

Settling back into life at the County Ground this week after a winter away in Australia, the 34-year-old is in no doubt Northants should be attacking the new campaign with positivity and confidence.

A Championship winner as a player with Lancashire in 2011, Procter knows exactly what it takes to claim English cricket's big prize, and he sees no reason why Northants shouldn't aim to be in the title shake-up come the end of September.

As the players step up their pre-season training ahead of the new campaign at the beginning of April, the mood is certainly bright at the County Ground.

The spring in everybody’s step is down to the fact the team enjoyed an excellent return to top flight cricket in 2022, finishing sixth in the table.

They were well adrift of champions Surrey and the rest of the top-four finishers, but it was their highest position since the captaincy days of Allan Lamb back in 1995 – a year when Indian leg-spin legend Anil Kumble claimed a remarkable 105 wickets!

It was also the first time since two divisions were introduced to English cricket in 2000 that the team had avoided being relegated following promotion.

If nothing else, it is certainly a strong foundation for Procter to build from, after it was announced at the end of last year the Oldham-born all-rounder would be the club's new red ball captain, taking over from Will Young.

And he is in bullish mood when it comes to what Northants supporters can expect from him and his team in 2023.

"The ability of everybody is amazing I think, and I believe we have the squad that can compete with anybody on our day," said Procter. "I am really happy with things."

Asked about his targets for the new season, he then added: "I want to win it to be honest.

"I am not here to just compete, I want to win and will do whatever it takes."

And looking back to that title-winning experience with the Red Rose, he believes the key to success is getting off to a good start and building momentum.

"I have won it before, although not as captain, but as a player when I was a young lad," said Procter,

"It is all about getting things going early on, then just steadying and then things click in, and belief clicks in. I don't see why we couldn't do it if we got the right thing going.

"There were only a couple of matches last season where we got outclassed, and other than those games we played some good cricket.

"We have some good players, and I don't see why we can't do that again."

His stint at the helm of Northants will be Procter's first experience of senior captaincy, although he makes no secret of the fact it is something he has always wanted to do.

He had just never been asked!

"I am excited about it, it should be good and has been a long time coming, I reckon," he said.

"I have done some second-team stuff in the past and I have really enjoyed it, and when John asked me to do it I was delighted.

"It is something I am really looking forward to. I am hoping to do it for the long term, so we will see."

The major thing head coach John Sadler will be hoping Procter brings to the role, alongside the obvious one of leadership, is some much-needed stability.

The course of 2022 saw Northants have three different first-class captains in Adam Rossington, Ricardo Vasconcelos and New Zealander Young.

Rossington, who had been skipper since 2019, left the club to join Essex before a ball was bowled, with Vasconcelos then resigning the role mid-season.

That left overseas signing Young to steady the ship until the end of the campaign, but it was always likely a new captain would have to be found for 2023 – and Procter is Sadler’s pick.

The former Lancashire man, as he has already stated, hopes to be in the Northants job for the long-term, so what sort of captain does he anticipate he will be?

"I have obviously thought about things, but I have not really got a style yet," he admitted.

"I will have to work it out with John, but I have not really had a chance to talk to him properly, we have just been speaking on the phone.

"I am sure there will be certain things that will happen."

One thing Sadler will be very keen for Procter to do is to maintain his brilliant form with the bat from last summer, and the player believes he can do just that.

The left-hander was the County’s leading run-scorer, making 961 runs at an average of 53.38, with three centuries and four 50s, just missing out on breaking the magical 1,000-run barrier.

It was his most productive season for the club since he joined from Old Trafford midway through 2017, and he would love to repeat it in 2023.

"I am not really stat driven myself, so I am not really that fussed about them, I just want to win games and compete,” said Procter, who will lead Northants for the first time at Kent on April 6.

"Obviously I am disappointed not to have got 1,000 runs, but I was very pleased with how the season went.

"I would just like to go one step further this year."

So Procter the skipper will be hoping Procter the batter delivers again – but what about the bowling version?

Is Procter still going to be turning his arm over?

"I didn't actually bowl that much towards the end of the season as I picked up a heel injury,” he said.

“That was quite disappointing as I felt like I was getting into a good rhythm,” he said.

"I do like bowling, but we will see what sort of overs I bowl!"

Well, one thing’s for certain, at least he knows exactly who he has to impress!