Northants sign South-African duo for 2015

Levi bating for Northamptonshire Steelbacks
 in last year's Royal London One-Day Cup.

Northamptonshire have today confirmed the signing of South-African duo Richard Levi and Rory Kleinveldt for the entirety of the 2015 season.

Levi will enter a third consecutive season at Wantage Road after he helped guide the Steelbacks to Twenty20 success in 2013 and has recently enjoyed good form in South Africa for Cape Cobras in first-class and limited-overs cricket.

Kleinveldt, who has represented South Africa in all three formats of the game, has struggled to hold down a place in the international squad amongst a number of quality fast bowlers, but joins Northants with 271 first-class wickets in 94 matches.

Northants Cricket Head Coach David Ripley said, “It will be a great boost to know we will have two international players available to us for the whole season.

“We are excited about Richard establishing himself in the four day team as well as having his firepower in our one day team. He has had a great winter, named player of the competition in the South African Ram Slam.

“Rory will be a terrific bowler in English conditions. He has just featured in the South African side against the Lions, where he was amongst the wickets on a pretty flat pitch. We look forward to managing his work load over the season to get the best out of him.

“Richard and Rory know each other very well, and I’m sure they will enjoy their time together in Northamptonshire”.

Levi has developed recognition as a twenty20 specialist scoring the fastest century in T20 Internationals as he blasted 117 not out against New Zealand off 51 deliveries.

The big-hitting South-African featured in just three LV County Championship matches last season, but was the club’s highest run-scorer in the Royal London One-Day Cup, accumulating 291 runs in seven matches at an average of 48.50.

His performances in the Natwest t20 Blast were unable to secure successive t20 titles for the Steelbacks, but Levi did score 283 runs in 12 games as Northants finished seventh in the North Group in 2014.

Kleinveldt briefly represented Hampshire in the County Championship in 2008 as a kolpak player and also plays for Cape Cobras in South Africa.