Neesham links up with Northamptonshire for Vitality Blast 2022

New Zealand international Jimmy Neesham has signed up with English county Northamptonshire for the upcoming Vitality Blast 2022 and if possible, he would be available for the County Championship for which the team has qualified in Division 1.

“I’m excited to get going with Northamptonshire in 2022. The club has a fantastic history in the Blast and I hope that we can recreate those successes from 2013 and 2016,” Neesham was quoted as saying in a press release by the team.

“The opportunity to possibly play some First-Class cricket for the county in Division One is also an exciting challenge. I look forward to linking up with everyone at Wantage Road soon,” he added further.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks won the Blast in 2013 and 2016 and were runners-up in 2015. The best that they have achieved since then is a Quarterfinals finish in the 2020 season.

Neesham, who made his T20 debut in 2010, has ever since played 181 matches, scoring 2,360 runs and taking 158 wickets in them. Steelbacks’ Skipper Josh Cobb was excited to have Neesham in the team as he played alongside him for Welsh Fire in The Hundred.

“Having spent time with him at the Welsh Fire in The Hundred last year I know what he can bring to us,” said Cobb.

“He’s a three-dimensional cricketer with genuine power and a high strike rate in the middle order, but it was his character that stood out to me. He’s someone who wants to win and is very selfless, he’s a real team-first kind of player.

I’m looking forward to having him here as a leader, to pass on his experience and help drive us to be better,” he added.

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