Wessels sets sights

Kepler Wessels has set Northants a target. To stay in Division One he believes they will need 150 points and three wins. The half-term report is hardly encouraging, though: nine Championship matches and an empty win column.

"It has pretty much gone as I expected," says Wessels honestly. "It has been a very hard slog. We have had a lot of draws and, when we have been in a position to win, we have lacked penetration. We have now got to get three outright wins in the last seven games and a few good draws. If we do that, then we have a chance of finishing where we want to be."

The lack of penetration with the ball has not been helped by a foot injury to Steffan Jones, which is likely to rule him out for two months. His injury gives a chance to Adam Shantry, who took 5 for 37 against the New Zealanders but Northants need the off-spinner Jason Brown to rediscover his touch.

Brown was the leading English qualified spinner last year but his 14 wickets so far this summer have cost 64.50. "He is finding it a lot more difficult in the First Division," says Wessels. "The opposition is better and they have played him pretty well. He is also not quite bowling as well as he has and the conditions are not quite as helpful."

Martin Love, the Australian batsman, was expected to extend his one-month contract until the end of the season after Martin Van Jaarsveld was called into South Africa's Test and one-day squad for their tour to Sri Lanka.

Moment of the month Shantry's `Michelle' (Michelle Pfeiffer - five-for) against the Kiwis