South African pace ace Williams gears up for Northants debut

The 28-year-old was signed on a short-term deal last week, that will see him available for Northants’ final four red-ball games of the 2022 season.

The match sees second hosting fifth as the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One campaign resumes, following a month-long break due to The Hundred.

Josh Cobb, who was captain of the Welsh Fire during their winless campaign in that competition, is back in the squad ahead as red-ball cricket returns, as is Harry Gouldstone.

The young wicket-keeper batsman is recalled as Lewis McManus is unable to play in this fixture due to the terms of his season-long loan from Hampshire.

Will Young once again captains the side, with Northants' sights on finishing the season strongly, and securing as high a finish as possible.

With the format of the 2023 season still unclear, the club wants to put itself in the best possible position to be playing at the top table, regardless of any changes to format and schedule.

Northants are fifth in the table having won two of their past three games, and they are 63 points adrift of second-placed Hampshire, having played a game less.

John Sadler's team are 45 points off third, and five points adrift of fourth-placed Essex, who come to the County Ground for the final match of the season at the end of September.

Looking down the table, Northants are 31 points clear of second-from-bottom Somerset, and 14 points better off than sixth-placed Yorkshire.

Hampshire still have eyes on the title, as they trail leaders Surrey by 16 points, and in Kyle Abbott they boast division one's leading wicket-taker with 49.

Team-mates Keith Barker and Mohammad Abbas are both in the top six with 43 and 37 respectively.

With that bat, Ben Brown (675) and Nick Gubbins (673) have scored the most runs for Hampshire so far and both boast averages in the 40s.

By comparison, Luke Procter is Northants’ leading run-scorer, having hit 815 at an average of 81.5, while the top wicket-taker is Ben Sanderson with 30 at 27.70.

Monday's play at the Ageas is due to start at 10.30am.

Northants squad: Young, Cobb, Gay, Gouldstone, Keogh, Kerrigan, Procter, Sales, Sanderson, Taylor, Vasconcelos, J White, Williams.

Hampshire squad: Vince, Abbas, Abbott, Barker, Brown, Dawson, Donald, Fuller, Gubbins, Holland, Organ, Prest, Weatherley, Wheal