Lancashire win the race for Richard Gleeson

Lancashire have won the race to sign Northants seamer Richard Gleeson.

Gleeson, one of the quickest bowlers in the county game, was of interest to several of the bigger counties but has chosen to return to the county of his birth.

Although he was not out of contract at Northants, he had a release clause in his contract that allowed him to leave if compensation terms were met. It is understood the cash-strapped club had advertised his availability and received a substantial payment from Lancashire.

Although aged 30, Gleeson has played only 22 first-class games having been something of a late developer in the game. After impressing in Minor Counties cricket for Cumberland, Gleeson made his first-class debut in 2015 and played for Northants on a match-by-match basis in 2016. He claimed his best innings and match figures in first-class cricket - 6 for 79 and 9 for 95 respectively - earlier this week.

Until winning his late opportunity, Gleeson worked as a community coach for the Lancashire Cricket Board. So quick has his progress been, however, that he was called into the England Lions squad in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Injury has disrupted his Northants season but he sits at the top of both their Championship and Vitality Blast averages.