Chris Lynn finalises Northamptonshire deal for T20 Blast

Chris Lynn will play county cricket for the first time this summer after agreeing a deal to play for Northamptonshire in the T20 Blast.

ESPNcricinfo revealed on Friday that Lynn's name topped Northants' shortlist for a second overseas player to appear alongside James Neesham in this year's competition, and the club confirmed his signing on Monday morning.

Lynn made his first appearance in English domestic cricket last summer, playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, but this will be his first stint in the county game.

"I have always wanted to play county cricket and I'm really looking forward to joining up with Northamptonshire for the Vitality Blast," he said. "The UK is a great place to play and I am hopeful that I can contribute with some good performances and also try to entertain the Steelback fans this summer."

Lynn is the Big Bash League's all-time leading run-scorer but his form has dipped in the last two years. Since August 2020 he has averaged 23.20 with a strike rate of 133.33 in all T20 cricket and he has fallen out of Australia contention.

But Northants were in the market for a top-order batter following the departure of Adam Rossington on a season-long loan to Essex and Lynn was the perfect fit, according to their T20 captain Josh Cobb.

"To get someone of Lynn's quality is an excellent signing," Cobb said. "He fits the bill really well in terms of his power at the top of the order and fills that slot for us nicely. I really get the feeling he has a hunger to go out there and perform and when he does Wantage Road certainly won't be big enough.

"Lynn's captained the Brisbane Heat for a number of years too so for me personally he brings those leadership qualities as well," Cobb added. "I'm looking forward to working alongside him and getting some different views he might have."