Darren Lehmann lures Nathan McSweeney to Northants in statement signing

Northamptonshire coach Darren Lehmann has made a statement signing by luring Australia's Nathan McSweeney to Wantage Road for the 2026 season. The deal covers all formats and the club expect McSweeney to be available "for the whole season" barring an international recall.

Lehmann joined Northants last summer and took them to T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time since 2016, though they finished second-bottom of Division Two in the County Championship and won only once in the One-Day Cup. He signed an extension mid-season which means his contract now runs until the end of 2027, and has started to strengthen his squad for next year.

Lehmann was an assistant coach when McSweeney captained Brisbane Heat to the BBL title in 2023-24, and presented him with his baggy green cap when he made his Test debut against India last year. McSweeney was harshly dropped after only three caps - four of his five dismissals were to an in-form Jasprit Bumrah - but has not featured for Australia since.

As a result, he should be available throughout the English summer. He will play alongside his South Australia team-mate Harry Conway for the first half of the Championship season, with Yuzvendra Chahal set to take over from Conway for the second half of the Championship and the One-Day Cup. Allrounder Louis Kimber has also joined from Leicestershire.

"When the chance came up to sign with Northamptonshire, it was an easy decision," McSweeney said. "The club has a strong culture and some quality players, and working with Boof again made it even more appealing. I'm eager to get over there, settle in, and help the team win games."

Lehmann said: "Nathan McSweeney is a brilliant player who has so much talent and potential. He's a classy individual who will hopefully provide us with some stability in that top order. We can't wait for him to arrive and hit the ground running."