Sadler delighted as ‘true professional’ McManus commits to Northants

Lewis McManus has signed a two-year deal to stay at Northamptonshire

The 27-year-old has been on loan at the County Ground from Hampshire since the eve of the current season, but the move has now been made a permanent one.

McManus has agreed a two-year contract that will see him strut his stuff at Wantage Road until at least the end of the 2024 season, and Sadler is delighted to have the player on board.

“He’s been brilliant, an absolute true professional, a top man and one hell of a cricketer," said the head coach, who made the move for McManus following Adam Rossington's surprise departure for Essex at the end of March.

“The lads have got a lot of respect for him and he’s going to play a big part for us moving forward.

“He’s an open-minded character that wants to learn, and continually improve.

"We know how good he is, and we know that he’s just going to keep getting better."

McManus has enjoyed a good season behind the stumps, taking 27 catches in 10 LV= Insurance County Championship Division One games, and he also claimed 10 catches and one stumping in the Vitality Blast.

With the bat, he has scored 410 Championship runs at an average just shy of 30, hitting four crucial half-centuries, and on Sunday he cracked a century as the Steelbacks beat Bedfordshire by seven runs in their warm-up match ahead of the Royal London One Day Cup campaign, that starts on Tuesday against Yorkshire at York CC.

But Sadler believes it is not just on the field where the Poole-born player has excelled.

“Coming into a new dressing room it can be hard to be vocal," said the head coach.

"But Lewis has grown and grown as he’s settled in, and since it was announced he would be here for the full season then he’s just become a natural leader behind the sticks.

“We can’t fault him, and we’re just delighted to have him on board."