Jamie Overton makes Northants loan move as Somerset focus on Championship push

Jamie Overton, Somerset's highly-rated fast bowler, has joined Northamptonshire on a one-month loan deal, in a bid to guarantee him first-team action while he continues his recovery from a back injury.

Though Overton has played a role in Somerset's march to the Royal London Cup final on May 25 - for which he will remain available - the club feel that cannot guarantee him selection in four-day cricket, which resumes in earnest this week with a run of fixtures through to mid-July.

And, with Somerset currently top of the table and preparing for a marquee clash against the reigning champions, Surrey, at Taunton this week, they've decided that the best option is to offer Overton a chance to get overs under his belt elsewhere, rather than bring him back to fitness in their own Championship campaign.

"Since working his way back from an early season injury, Jamie has recently and successfully returned to First XI action in the Royal London One-Day Cup," said Somerset's director of cricket, Andy Hurry.

"We've made an impressive start to this year's County Championship, and whilst Jamie is certainly in contention for selection, we can't guarantee him a starting place at present.

"Therefore, we feel that both he and the club would benefit from him playing competitive First XI red-ball cricket."

The arrangement will run from May 14 to June 13, and means that Overton will be available for Northamptonshire's County Championship matches against Lancashire, Sussex, Glamorgan and Durham.

"The idea of having Jamie available to us is really exciting," said David Ripley, Northants' head coach. "He's a Lions bowler who's gone through the ranks very quickly and brings real pace which is something that we haven't perhaps got in our natural group.

"We're very grateful to Somerset who are obviously playing some good cricket themselves at the moment and have a good player who they can't get into the eleven. We're more than happy to give him that opportunity with us."

Hurry added: "As I've stated previously, it's important to us as a club to ensure that we are providing opportunities that support our player's needs whilst considering our club's mid-term needs.

"The terms of this loan agreement will enable Jamie to be available for selection for the Royal London One-Day Cup final and return to Somerset if we incur an injury to one of our seamers."

Overton, who could yet be in contention for a Test call-up this summer, with the Ashes looming in August, recognised the value of his time away from his home club.

"Obviously, I'm hungry to be playing First XI cricket and currently opportunities are limited," he said. "When the opportunity to play First XI Championship cricket at Northants came about, I felt it was a great chance for me to show what I can do. After this loan period I'll return to Taunton and I look forward to contributing to winning games for Somerset."

He is the second Somerset player to make a loan move this season, after Dom Bess - their spin understudy to Jack Leach - was sent to Headingley for a month's loan with Yorkshire.