Saints have announced that British & Irish Lions star Dan Biggar will be joining the club from Ospreys in the summer of 2018.

The 27-year-old played in five of the Lions’ 10 matches on the tour of New Zealand this summer.

He has won 56 caps for Wales and has been the starting 10 for the majority of the past four years.

Biggar will arrive to bolster a Saints fly-half department that currently includes Stephen Myler and Piers Francis.

But Myler’s current contract concludes at the end of this season.

Jim Mallinder is delighted to have secured the services of Biggar and the Saints boss believes the signing is a statement of intent.

“We’re delighted to have secured the signature of such a highly-rated player,” Mallinder said.

“Dan has shown his excellence year in, year out, for both the Ospreys and Wales, and he performed really well for the Lions this summer.

“The fact that he has put pen to paper a year in advance shows that Dan has plenty of belief in where we are going as a club and our ambitions for the future and we’re looking forward to welcoming him here next summer.”

At club level, Biggar was the youngest player to pass the 200-appearance mark for the Ospreys, a feat he achieved last season.

To date he has scored more than 2,000 points for the region, earning a reputation as one of the league’s most accurate marksmen in the process.

And the player is delighted to have the chance to represent Saints next season.

“I’m hugely privileged to sign for a club with the history and tradition of Saints,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s extremely exciting to start a new chapter of my career with a club that shares my ambition to win trophies, which is where this club belongs.

“I have to say a massive thank you to the coaches and board for the confidence put in me and I look forward to working as hard as I ever have in my career to return the faith.

“This is an opportunity for me and my family to experience rugby in a different environment and playing in a town and surrounding area which has a massive passion for rugby was a huge attraction.

“I would like to thank everyone at the Ospreys and the Welsh Rugby Union who has supported and helped me throughout my career and an extra special thank you to the fans who have helped and supported me through highs and lows.

“To play for my home club was a dream come true, let alone to play as many times as I have done.

“I hope my passion for the shirt and people of this region has shone through in my performances and I would love to leave on a high note with some silverware.

“I also remain fully committed to Wales and achieving the best I can every time I pull on the red shirt.”

Irrespective of your age, background or which club your support, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a name that resonates with pretty much anyone wherever you are in the world of football.

He played among the best and for the best during a stellar career that spanned 18 years and took him to 10 clubs across four different countries, but now it’s in the world of management where he’s trying to make a name for himself.

Following stints in Holland, Staffordshire and London, his latest assignment is perhaps his toughest yet having been tasked with kick-starting Northampton’s dismal season into life, with the Cobblers still winless six games into the new campaign and sat bottom of Sky Bet League One.

But while fans will be hoping he brings a dash of Dutch flair to Sixfields, it seems Hasselbaink’s coaching philosophy does not necessarily align with how he was as a player.

His beliefs centre around hard work, organisation and being hard to break down - and the 21 clean sheets in 50 league games as Burton boss is testament to those principles.

For the Cobblers, that may be no bad thing.

Attractive, attacking football will only ever be possible when confidence is high and players are in form, and ultimately that comes from winning, something which has eluded Town so far.

Winning games has rarely been a major issue for Hasselbaink, either as a player or a manager.

After leading Royal Antwerp to seventh place in the Dutch second division in his first managerial role three years ago, Hasselbaink was appointed Burton Albion manager in November 2014 when the club was fifth in Sky Bet League Two and on a run of five defeats in eight games under previous manager Gary Rowett.

But 50 games, 32 wins and only eight defeats later, Burton not only clinched the league two title but also found themselves sitting pretty at the top of the division above, which inevitably attracted the attention of bigger clubs.

“In Hasselbaink’s 50 league games as Burton Albion manager, he saw his side beaten on only eight occasions,” says Burton Mail reporter Joshua Murray.

“It was that unwillingness to accept defeat that saw them charge to the league two title within six months of the Dutchman arriving at the Pirelli Stadium, before he oversaw an unlikely rise to the top of league one ahead of his departure to Queens Park Rangers in December 2015.”

Given his flamboyant, attacking style as a player, Hasselbaink’s simple yet effective approach to management may be a surprise to some.

“Hasselbaink’s Burton were a stellar example of organisation, fitness and work rate coming together in tandem and in harmony,” adds Murray.

“That was the reason for sides struggling so much to break them down and beat them.

“A tally of 21 clean sheets from those 50 league games in charge is undeniably impressive, and is testament to the way his Brewers side worked without the ball, primarily on getting it back as high up the pitch as possible and hitting their opponents at their most vulnerable.

“Burton’s football under Hasselbaink was not always the most open and expansive, but it was hugely effective.

“On more than one occasion, the former Chelsea and Leeds United forward, a prolific goalscorer in his day, reiterated that he would much rather win a game 1-0 than edge a seven-goal thriller.

“Words like ‘shape’ and ‘discipline’ were regular buzzwords for Hasselbaink, a vocal presence on the touchline who lives every second of every game.

“His attention to detail on the training ground was visible in games, and something his players have highlighted as crucial to their success.”

Burton fans still hold fond memories of the former Cardiff City striker, and it appears the feeling is mutual.

Murray continues: “Hasselbaink was back at the Pirelli Stadium recently to watch his former club beat Birmingham City in the Championship.

“He will have received the warmest of welcomes at a place where he is still held in such high regard.

“It was clear speaking to him after that game that the respect for Burton is still very much reciprocated - and that he was focused on getting back into a dugout very soon.”

And how does Murray predict he’ll go at Sixfields?

“That return to football will be with Northampton - and the Cobblers have a man in charge who can re-energise the side from their early-season struggles into a ruthlessly efficient and hard-working outfit.

“It is good to see Hasselbaink back in management, and it is likely that Northampton fans will feel just that in the weeks and months to come too.”

Fast forward 12 months following his rip-roaring Burton success and Hasselbaink’s stock was not quite so high after a far more difficult period in charge at Loftus Road.

After leading Queens Park Rangers to 12th place in a steady first season, the 45-year-old was sacked on November 5 last year, just 16 games into the 2016/17 Championship campaign when his side were languishing down in 17th with just 20 points and question marks over his style of play.

“Hasselbaink asked for more time, but he has all the time in the world to reflect after a 30.23 per cent win record in his time at Loftus Road,” wrote Paul Warburton from GetWestLondon on Hasselbaink’s dismissal, which came on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Brentford and 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

“Actually, he won 14, drew 18, and lost 15 in his 47 games in charge.

“In all fairness to the Rangers boss, he admitted his side were ‘second best’ in the 2-0 defeat to Brentford.

“What he didn’t say was how they looked a yard off the pace all night.

“What hurt Rs fans was a lack of urgency and apparent motivation apart from a brief period after the break when presumably with a rocket in a painful place from the gaffer, they gave it a bit of a go in front of millions watching on TV.”

Those difficulties at QPR will be of some understandable concern to Cobblers fans but, that aside, he has enjoyed an impressive start to what is still a relatively short managerial career so far.

His mere arrival has already lifted spirited at Sixfields and now his job is to harness the undoubted quality in this squad and turn Town’s fortunes around.

Will he succeed? Only time will tell.

Rory Kleinveldt was happy to reap some rewards as he helped put Northants in total control against Sussex at the County Ground.

Kleinveldt produced a fantastic performance, taking five for 50 as Sussex were skittled out for just 172 in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash.

That meant Northants, who had hit 426 all out with Ben Duckett smashing 193, held a 254-run first-innings lead against the third-placed side.

And after enforcing the follow-on, fifth-placed County set about Sussex, with Kleinveldt taking his sixth wicket of the match.

The away side ended day two on 34 for one with 10 overs bowled.

And Kleinveldt said: “We managed to bowl ourselves into a good position.

“Putting big scores on the board has been lacking this summer and it’s good to be able to bowl when there’s some runs on the board.

“Everyone ran in and hit the pitch and got something out of it.

“We got the ball up there, hitting the stumps more often than not.

“I haven’t quite had the rewards this summer but it came today.”

In his first few months at Saints, Kieran Brookes could have been known as the bin man.

That is because he was playing so well that he forced several opponents to head to the sin bin, grinding them into the dirt in the scrum.

But now, the tighthead prop is bidding to bounce back after what he feels has been a rubbish spell of form.

Brookes has held onto the Saints No.3 shirt, keeping Paul Hill and previously Gareth Denman out of the first 15.

But the 27-year-old knows he has got plenty of improving to do and he is desperate to show the Saints supporters, some of whom have been critical of his displays, exactly what he can do.

"The coaches have shown faith in me and they obviously feel I'm the right man for the job so I've just got to show I can do it," said Brookes, who joined Saints from Newcastle Falcons in 2015.

"I was very disappointed with how I played last season.

"I came here in my first season and I felt I was in form.

"I didn't have a very good pre-season last year and I didn't have a very good year.

"I was angry at myself at how I played and I've been working very hard this pre-season, especially on my fitness, especially on running, literally non-stop.

"From pre-season - not necessarily (against Saracens) last week because we didn't get much of the ball and we were chasing shadows a bit - I feel like I'm in a better place than I was last year.

"I've lost a bit of weight, I'm a bit quicker and I'm a lot fitter than I was."

Brookes' honesty about his own form is refreshing and there is certainly no hiding from the front row forward, who has 16 international caps to his name.

He has not represented his country since March, 2016 and he admits losing his England place and suffering a string of injuries has hampered his performances.

"Just coming out of a good pre-season from a World Cup (in 2015), I was in a good place, then being dropped by England and not having the best pre-season last year, I was on a slow downhill," said Brookes.

"I wasn't happy with it so it's time to turn it around and really concentrate on this year.

"It was a bit of everything for me: being dropped by England and not performing very well, my confidence was a bit low, and my fitness did drop off because of injuries I picked up with my knee and stuff.

"But there's no excuses, I've just had to work really hard on my fitness during pre-season and I'm looking forward to showing everyone what I'm actually about."

But all of the hard graft Brookes and his team-mates put in during pre-season counted for nothing last Saturday as they suffered a 55-24 defeat to Saracens at Twickenham.

Jim Mallinder's men shipped seven tries during the first half of the Aviva Premiership opener, and nine in all.

And Brookes said: "Coming from the confidence we got from playing Ulster (in the final pre-season friendly), we're so disappointed.

"It's not what we're about as a club and we're out to rectify it at home to Leicester this weekend.

"No one wants to lose the first game of the season, but it is a long season and there's a lot of time to put it right.

"I love playing here at home, it's a great stadium, a great place to play and all the boys are buzzing for it."

Saints face back-to-back home games in the next two weeks, with Saturday's huge derby clash with Leicester Tigers followed by a Friday night battle with Bath.

And Brookes will hope to keep Hill and new recruit Jamal Ford-Robinson out of the team.

"Jamal's a lovely lad and we get on well," said Brookes of Ford-Robinson, who joined Saints from Bristol this summer.

"But nothing's changed from last year - we're all trying to put pressure on each other to play well and as well as we can.

"It's great for the club to have so much competition in each area of the pitch."

Mitch Eadie is set to miss the next few weeks after suffering an ankle sprain in last Saturday's defeat to Saracens at Twickenham.

No.8 Eadie, who moved to Northampton from Bristol during the summer, was forced off just 15 minutes into his competitive debut for the club.

He received lengthy treatment on the pitch and was later sent to a specialist to undergo a scan.

But Saints attack coach Alan Dickens says the news is more positive than first feared.

"He's been to see the specialist this week, had a scan and it's pretty positive," Dickens said.

"Obviously he got a really nasty injury and had to come off, but the diagnosis is more positive than we thought.

"It's a high ankle sprain.

"It was disappointing for us because he was excellent in pre-season. You go back to the game against Ulster here and he was really effective."

Saints could now look to select Teimana Harrison at No.8 for Saturday's game against Leicester Tigers at Franklin's Gardens.

Harrison played no part in last weekend's opening-day loss, but is fit and available should Saints choose to select him against Tigers.

"Mitch Eadie, Stephen Myler (knee) and Piers Francis (jaw) are the only ones missing," Dickens said.

"Teimana is available and we've got a fully fit squad apart from those three I've mentioned."

A planning proposal by Bloor Homes to develop two greenfield farms near Duston was made to Daventry District Council this morning.

But the 20-year project for the sprawl of new homes stops short of Northampton Borough Council's boundaries.

Councillors are concerned the strain of the new population would arguably affect Northampton while Daventry and South Northamptonshire collect the tax benefits.

Barry Frenchman, ward councillor for Harlestone, which is next to the earmarked farms, said: "I hope it will be a sustainable urban extension. There's a demand for houses and Harlestone has come to accept there will be a development here.

"I will try very hard to make sure residents get the most benefit out of it then can. We will go over the plans with a fine tooth comb."

The two farms, west of New Duston, are bordered by Roman Road, New Sandy Lane and Port Road.

The first phase of the 20-year-project aims to build 600 homes, primary school and space for shops within five years of approval.

It comes as part of the Joint Core Strategy for Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire.

A spokesman for Bloor Homes said: "After consulting with local stakeholders, we have taken great care in developing these plans for a new sustainable community. In addition to providing quality local housing that is urgently needed, this development will offer a range of benefits for the local community."

"Payments secured by the councils through planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will help to pay for necessary infrastructure improvements within all three local authority areas."

Bloor Homes is currently marketing the 1,000-house Buckton Fields development near Whitehills and the Hunsbury Fields development in south west Northampton.

Councillor Matthew Golby, who sits on the West Northants Joint Strategic Planning Committee, said: "I understand the need for building houses and creating school places.

"I think a lot of people will live on the west side of Northampton to access the motorways and not so much to use the town.

"We want all local developments to benefit the town and be community focussed."

Daventry Museum has organised a variety of free events as part of a national celebration of culture, architecture and history.

Walks, a history quiz and a new exhibition at the town's museum tracing Daventry through the ages are all on the agenda for this year's annual Heritage Open Days

The museum is also working in partnership with Daventry Holy Cross Church to promote a 'Ride and Stride' event, along with a tour of the bell tower and a chance to have a go at some bell ringing on Saturday, September 9 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

Two free heritage walks are planned for this week, which can be booked by calling 01327 301246:

- Friday, September 8 from 6pm to 7.30pm Mike Arnold will take a guided walk through Daventry, offering an insight into various town centre buildings

- Sunday, September 10 from 4pm to 5.30pm Mike Arnold will lead a walk on Borough Hill, sharing information on its geology, nature and history

A quiz designed to get you out and about in Daventry and increase awareness of town's heritage is available at the museum, or can be downloaded from their website.

'Ride and Stride' is a sponsored bike ride or walk touring some of the county's historic churches. More information and help to plan a route can be found here.

The museum's new exhibition Daventry Through the Ages will open on Saturday, September 9 from 10am to 2pm, and highlights major periods of Daventry’s history from the Jurassic Period through to present day.

It will be a trip down memory lane in more ways than one as Des O’Connor returns to Northampton later this month.

He appears alongside Jimmy Tarbuck in Des O’Connor & Jimmy Tarbuck Live at the Royal and Derngate on Sunday, September 17.

Des was evacuated to the town during the Second World War, though he jokes people think it was the Crimean War and also played briefly for Northampton Town Football Club.

“I was told by the coaches that I was a really good fast player, and if only I could have taken the ball with me then I would have been better,” he laughs.

But he is determined to make the show in Northampton different from the one he does other nights.

Des said: “I don’t really like doing rehearsals; we will be doing something on the night just for the audience. There are little bits that we have put in and Jimmy said, just do it when I come on, but we allow things to happen.

“I’ve never done that when I have been presenting or done Countdown or when we have done stage work.

“I know that some of the people I’ve worked with were scared of it, there were a lot of nerves around but it all worked out well in the end and we all relaxed and enjoyed it.

“I remember we did a show in Basingstoke and sat there before it and thinking Basingstoke, Basingstoke, always packed with good folk, and the audience laughed.

“But they knew they were hearing something that no one else was going to hear which is what I like doing.

“I might have to think of a load of Cobblers though when I come to Northampton,” he jokes.

But what of working with Jimmy Tarbuck?

This is the second tour the duo have done together and you might be surprised that prior to last year, they had never worked together.

Des added: “We knew each other but the first time we were on stage together was the Sunday Night at the London Palladium when 2,600 people turned up and they all went away with a smile on the face, which was a lovely feeling.

“The show is basically Jimmy does the first half although I come on for a little bit and then I do the second half but he comes on for a little bit as well.

“It seems to work really well and people really love seeing the show.”

There will also be the chance to see some vintage clips from the two legends of entertainment.

Des added: “The clips will stand up for themselves but the reaction of the audience and our reaction is a great thing that makes the show.

“I don’t even do that many jokes preferring to allow them to happen naturally. Although there are a few corny jokes, like when I go to the stage door and you get asked, Mr O’Connor do you have a good memory for faces and I said I do. The stage hand says, that’s good, there’s no mirror in your dressing room.”

But despite reaching the impressive age of 85, he shows no signof slowing down at all.

Des said: “It seems like the older I get, the more shows; I’ve got another one on the road at the moment.

“But I really love doing what I am doing and in show business, there is always something to do which sounds exciting and you can not ask for more than to love doing what you are doing.

“This is going to a great show and one for the entire family and will leave you all full of good cheer.”

The show starts at 7.30pm.

For more information or to book tickets in advance call the box office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has pledged to bring the smiles back to Sixfields after starting work as the new Cobblers boss.

There has been plenty of doom and gloom around the club for much of 2017, and last Thursday Justin Edinburgh became the second manager to be sacked in the space of just eight months.

The ex-Gillingham boss, who only took over from Rob Page in January, paid the price for a run of four straight Sky Bet League One defeats to start the season, with the Cobblers sitting pointless and rock-bottom of the table.

Town haven’t won for 14 matches, with their last victory on March 14, and Hasselbaink was on Monday unveiled as the man to turn things around.

On Tuesday, he met the media for the first time, and although he made it clear he is targeting Sixfields success, he wants the players to really start enjoying what he says is ‘the best job in the world’.

Asked what he will bring to the role of Cobblers boss, former Chelsea and Leeds United striker Hasselbaink said: “I will bring a lot of energy, and it is very important for me that the people around me enjoy the journey and there are smiles on people’s faces.

“We might lose a few matches, but we have to make sure we are doing things with joy.

“The players need to understand that they are in the best job in the world, because there is no better job.

“I think if you can jump out of bed, go to training and work in the outside world and put a sweat on, it is the best thing ever.

“So why do that with restraint? Smile and enjoy it.

“When you enjoy it, you can get so much more out of an individual, so I hope i can bring that, with success obviously.

“I hope we can win as many matches as possible, because at the end of the day it is about winning matches.”

Joint-manager Arron Parkinson was delighted to see Daventry Town bounce back with a bang on Tuesday.

Following Saturday’s frustrating late United Counties League defeat at Desborough Town, Kieran Fitzgerald completed a hat-trick as Town thumped Sileby Rangers 8-3 in Tuesday’s premier division clash.

Parkinson said: “In the first half we played some good football. We started the game with a purpose and attacked Sileby from minute one and raced into a 5-0 lead by halftime.

“So many aspects of the game we need to carry into Saturday’s clash with unbeaten Eynesbury. Jack Bettles looked very lively on his full debut scored in a convincing win.

“The only disappointment was to concede three goals in the manner we did.

“It was great to see Tom McGowan starting a game after a full year out due to a serious knee injury. His experience and leadership is something we have missed early on this season.”

Looking back on Saturday’s solitary goal defeat at Desborough, who completed an early season double over Town, Parkinson said: “Desborough beat us early on in the season by the odd goal so myself and Ian King were looking forward to putting that right.

“The game itself wasn’t great on the eye with both sides unable to find any fluency. I thought Desborough had the better of the opening exchanges and it took us a good 25 minutes to settle in to the game.

“After that, we created a couple of half chances with Sam Jackson also hitting the bar from fully 30 yards. Our best chance came midway through the second half with substitute Adam Creaney failing to convert from a Robbie Parsons’ cross, just a yard out.

“After that we huffed and puffed but failed to really trouble the home keeper. We then conceded very late on which is something we have been doing too often of late.

“Overall I think we deserved a point but fair play to Desborough who kept going and probably created more clear cut opportunities on the afternoon as Ant O’Connor was again very impressive for us in goal.”

Firefighters have released a spooky parody of a horror film - to encourage people to test their alarms.

The fire brigade has piggybacked the publicity around the new Stephen King film ‘IT’ to make a creepy safety video to help raise awareness.

The story behind ‘IT’ involves a group of children who face their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, who carries a trademark red balloon.

A red balloon is featured in the fire version, which the force said represents the fear of a house fire or fire itself.

The balloon makes its way into a family home, only to be stopped by a firefighter who reaches up to test the home’s smoke alarm.

The clip urges “Don’t be a clown” and to “Test ‘IT’ weekly”.

Firefighters said they hope to promote the importance of testing smoke alarms weekly, and having an escape plan in place.

A spokesman for the Kent Fire Service, which put the video together, said: “We’re always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences to encourage them to think about safety particularly in the home.

“By jumping on the back of the excitement of the movies, we hope people will relate to our films and take on board their safety messages.

“By using the red balloon to represent fear of fire or fire itself, we are tapping into generating potential behaviour change through the use of emotions and protecting those we love the most - our family, pets and home.”

A mother whose son began attending a Daventry school this week says she is bemused and disappointed at a restriction preventing the use of a state-of-the-art facility to pupils under 14.

Abigail Campbell, from Braunston, along with several other parents in the Daventry area, voiced her displeasure at a district council restriction part of the lease terms of the former UTC building, now run by the Parker E-Act Academy.

The terms state the Daventry UTC building could be used primarily to educate 14-19 year-olds, but Mrs Campbell does not see the benefit of such a restricted use given the quality of the facility which has workshops, laboratories, a four-court sports hall and a host of classrooms and breakout rooms.

“It’s bemusing, I don’t fully understand it,” she said.

“I find it really disappointing. I think both parents and kids were looking forward to using the UTC space.”

She added: “It’s almost like the kids have got their noses pressed up against the glass but they can’t get in.”

The £10 million building is one of several University Technical College sites so have become schools after closing their doors earlier this year.

UTCs in Oldham and Greenwich have been repurposed. According to the Oldham Evening Chronicle, Oasis Academy Oldham will use the site to accommodate 120 year 7s who do not have a school place. The Greenwich site meanwhile looks set for a £13 million renovation project to convert the building into an 11-to-18 school.

But because the site of Daventry UTC was transferred to Parker with the existing lease, the restrictions relevant to the previous occupants have remained, frustrating and perplexing parents.

A source close to the academy said the restrictions made no sense both educationally or strategically, nor did they add any monetary or cultural value, and that Parker were surprised to learn about them, prompting discussions on how they could be lifted to take place soon after.

Simon Bowers, business manager at Daventry District Council, said: “The Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) informed the council it intended to assign the lease from the UTC Trust to E-Act, for the purposes of the Parker Academy.

"The lease includes a requirement that the site is used primarily for students age 14-19 and following discussion about options the council received assurances from E-Act and the ESFA that these terms would be complied with. E-Act was well aware of the requirement for 14-19 use back in April 2017.

“The council was content with this arrangement. However it would appear that the message received by parents may have been somewhat different to the position reached by the council, E-Act and the ESFA. The council remains happy to discuss a way forward.”

As landlords the district council have the right to visit the site and can take action against the school should it find the UTC building, renamed the Randolph Building, is being used in breach of the terms of the lease.

A spokesperson for E-Act said: “We are delighted that the Randolph Building is already feeling part of the very fabric of our two E-ACT Daventry academies. Our students are making full use of the excellent facility with several already commenting on just how much at home they feel within the new space.

"With the full support of the ESFA the pre-existing lease was transferred to E-ACT on the principle that the former Daventry UTC building would be used primarily to educate 14-19 year olds. The Randolph Building is home to E-ACT’s Daventry Sixth Form though younger students have use of the facility within the terms of our agreement.”

Of the drivers the fire service spoke to at Northampton and Watford Gap services, 50 picked their sat-nav or other in-car technology as the biggest culprit for distracting them from the road.

A further 45 said stress, emotions, tiredness, daydreaming or road rage distracted them when driving, while 41 said talking to passengers caused them problems.

Sara Postlethwaite of the Safer Roads Alliance said: “Talking to people about the issues posed by driver distraction helped many to consider their personal distractions and realise the potential impact they could have.

"We often see reports from road traffic collisions which say ‘for unknown reasons the car left the carriageway’, and whatever those reasons are, they are distractions we want to prevent.”

Other top distractions revealed by the event were drivers looking at passengers/children in the back seat (39 drivers), eating, drinking, doing make-up/hair (35 drivers), and adjusting in-car controls (34 drivers).

Only nine people spoken to admitted being distracted as a result of using a handheld mobile phone when driving, versus the 26 who said using their mobile on hands-free was a distraction.

While the former is illegal, carrying a £200 fine and six penalty points, it remains legal to use a hands-free system to make and receive calls, although it must be fully set up before you drive so calls can be taken without touching the handset. Police can still stop drivers if they believe they have been distracted by using a mobile phone, even if it is completely hands-free.

Ms Postlethwaite said: “Preventing mobile phone use is obviously very important because of the risk it poses, but we also wanted drivers to identify with distractions they might not readily think of as problems, the day-to-day issues which compromise road safety.

“Hopefully the conversations we had with drivers will result in them thinking more about their behaviour and making changes to keep themselves, their families and other road users safer.”

Top driver distractions*

Visual

Sat nav, other in car technology – 50

Points of interest, sightseeing – 26

Looking at passengers (children in back seat) – 39

Looking for items in the car/searching through purse/wallet – 17

Manual

Mobile phone hand held, texting/Snapchat – 9

Eating, drinking, make-up, hair – 35

Smoking cigarettes, vaping – 6

Adjusting in-car controls – 34

Cognitive

Music – 31

Talking to passengers – 41

Mobile phone hands free – 26

Stress/emotions/tiredness/daydreaming/road rage – 45

* As logged by drivers spoken to by NFRS at the southbound Northampton and northbound Watford Gap services on 25 August 2017.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is dreaming of success as manager of the Cobblers.

And the new Town boss wants the club’s fans to dream of glory in the future too.

But he accepts that right now is not the time for dreaming, as the reality sees the Cobblers bottom of Sky Bet League One.

Town are pointless, and have the worst goal difference in the division after four straight defeats, the two most recent by the margin of 4-1.

And for all the fanfare and hopes that have gone with Hasselbaink’s arrival at Sixfields this week, the manager knows his immediate focus has to be on the here and now, and getting the Cobblers up the league table.

Hasselbaink has won silverware as a manager in the past, guiding Burton Albion to the league two title in 2015, and he would love to be a winner with the Cobblers.

But he also knows that is a long way off.

“Do I want success? Of course I want success,” said Hasselbaink, who replaces the sacked Justin Edinburgh in the Sixfields hot seat, and takes charge of his first game on Saturday against Doncaster Rovers at Sixfields (ko 3pm).

“But there are different ways to go about getting success.

“At this moment in time we are dreaming, and we need to stop dreaming.

“We have to have dreams in life, but we need to look at the reality, and say to ourselves ‘first let’s try and get ourselves out of the position we are in’.

“That is what we need to concentrate on, and from there build it up step by step which is what we are going to try to do.

“Saturday is the first opportunity to try to do that, and hopefully we can.”

Hasselbaink’s first taste of the Sixfields experience is going to be during Saturday’s league one date with mid-table Rovers.

The 45-year-old has been out of work since last November when he lost as job as boss of Championship side Queens Park Rangers, so could be forgiven if he hadn’t kept his finger on the pulse of the lower league English scene.

But Hasselbaink insists he has been keeping his eye in.

Asked if he has been watching what has been going on in league one, the 23-cap Netherlands international said: “Very closely.

“Just two weeks ago I was at MK Dons versus Gillingham, and I try to keep in touch with all three of the divisions, the Championship, league one and league two.

“I like to watch matches, and I have been very busy as I don’t like sitting at home - my wife kicks me out!”

Well, Hasselbaink is going to be pretty busy from now on, as getting the Cobblers out of the mess they find themselves in is going to be a full-time job.

He’ll be hoping he can get off to a winning start this weekend.

Doncaster Rovers boss Darren Ferguson admits he has had to rip up his plans for Saturday’s trip to the Cobblers following the appointment of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as the new boss at Sixfields.

The former Chelsea and Leeds striker was handed the Town job on Monday following the sacking of Justin Edinburgh last week, and Ferguson is expecting him to the Cobblers fired up ahead of his first game in charge this weekend.

The Rovers manager also admits he now has no idea what the formation or make up of the Town team will be, and that he is going to do his best to prepare his team for every eventuality.

“The one thing you’d say now is there will be different ideas, fresh ideas,” said Ferguson. “It’s a bit of a difficult one to gauge.

“You have to look at two things now. You look at the games Northampton have played but you would think there would be changes in terms of formation.

“I now have to also look at how Jimmy has played in the past because generally managers stick to what they’ve done.

“It’ll be a combination. The main thing for us is concentrating on what we do.

“We’ll probably set our lads up against two or three formations and what we need to do with and without the ball.

“I can’t go on about the opposition because we could prepare one thing and they do another. We just have to touch on the more important things.

“It’s a slightly different week where it’s not as simple as normal when you know what the opposition do.”

“I think it’s an important one for us because we need to get back to winning ways.”

Rovers have lost just once this season, at AFC Wimbledon a fortnight ago, but are without a win in three.

They drew 0-0 with Peterborough United last weekend, and Ferguson told the told the Doncaster Free Press that he expects Sixfields to be ‘buzzing’ this weekend, which certainly hasnn’t been the case in Town’s previous home games this term.

“I would expect it to be buzzing on Saturday,” said the former Posh boss.

“I would imagine Jimmy is a popular choice for them, and I think it’s a good appointment of a man who has been successful in the league.

“He left Burton top of League One and he’s done very well.

“It was a shame to see Justin go so early in the season, it always is for a manager to go.”

Jofra Archer and David Wiese shared a record ninth-wicket stand of 127 to give the away side hope in the key Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash.

Northants, who racked up 426 all out in the first innings, had taken control by skittling out Sussex for just 172 and enforcing the follow-on.

And they looked set to seal victory when reducing their opponents to 246 for eight in the second innings.

But Archer and Wiese produced a fine recovery before the partnership was broken by Luke Procter trapping Wiese LBW.

Sussex closed on 382 for nine, with a lead of 128 runs going into the final day.

And Wakely said: “Two guys played very nicely, they played really well, proper shots and made us go away from our plans.

“They have taken the game away from us a little bit but it was still a great effort from our bowlers.

“We know what we’ve got to do and we’re still right on top in the game.”

One-off grants of up to £500 are available to help groups in the Daventry district put on events for the wider community.

Applicants must demonstrate they have support from their town or parish council and must also match any funding they receive.

Applications should be submitted at least four weeks before the planned event and applicants will be notified of a decision within two weeks of their submission.

Seasonal events that have benefited from grants in the past include a firework display, pantomime, and a Christmas dinner for senior citizens, providing entertainment for the local community as well as valued funds for local good causes.

Councillor Alan Hills, community, culture and leisure portfolio holder at Daventry District Council, said: “Summer may be over but there are lots of opportunities for voluntary and community groups to get involved and put on events in the coming months and I would urge them to contact the Council to see how we might help.”

For more information about community grants offered by DDC, including the eligibility criteria for each grant, visit www.daventrydc.gov.uk/communitygrants or phone community development co-ordinator Tim Cantwell on 01327 871100.

Expert help in preventing future floods in the most at risk areas of the county has become available thanks to a three-year Northamptonshire County Council project.

The Pathfinder II project - launched last year - allows groups to apply for support to help reduce the likelihood of surface water flooding, and aims to offer help to 30 communities based in either urban or rural settings, and be residential or commercial or a combination of both.

If their application is successful a flood survey carried out by civil engineers will then help to develop community action plans and longer-term solutions.

The successful applicants would need to identify community members who can be flood wardens and someone who will be the main point of contact for their area.

The money for the initiative has been made available from the Anglian Northern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and follows on from the initial Pathfinder project, which was launched three years ago.

Cllr Ian Morris, county council cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, said: “Being a victim of flooding is an extremely upsetting experience and can be very disruptive for a long time after the event.

“What’s great about the Pathfinder project is that flood resilience measures are tailor-made for the individual communities by mixing historical experience with current information from a professional survey.

“Quite often it is some very basic measures that are needed to make a significant difference, so any communities that think they could benefit should apply.”

Any community can apply, with the scheme aimed at geographical areas. These can be villages, residents’ groups, industrial estates or a group of town centre businesses.

To apply go to the Flood Toolkit website www.floodtoolkit.com.

Some areas of Northampton and surrounding county to have been affected by floods in the past, and remain at risk, include parts of Far Cotton, St James, Billing, Wellingborough, Yelvertoft, Nether Heyford, Welford and Spratton.

Listening to those in the know, it is clear that Lewis Ludlam could have a huge future in a Saints shirt.

The 21-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects to have emerged from the club's Academy in recent years.

And in last Saturday's clash with Saracens at Twickenham, he gave another glowing example of why.

In a chaotic encounter, which saw Saints ship nine tries in a 55-24 Aviva Premiership opening-day defeat, Ludlam provided a beacon of light amid the gloom.

On his first league start for Saints, he scored his first try for the club.

He had stepped up, even though many of his more senior team-mates struggled to.

And it provided yet more promise for the future when it comes to a player who has had praise heaped on him by men such as Tom Wood and Jim Mallinder.

However, Ludlam, an impressive, articulate young man, is taking it all in his stride as he prepares for another huge game, against Leicester Tigers at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

"It was great to get my first league start, especially at Twickenham, a special place to play, but it was a disappointing result for us, a disappointing performance," Ludlam said.

"It's something we're really looking to work on.

"For me, it's easy to play the occasion not the game, so I just tried to prepare for it like it was any other game.

"It was about relaxing and not chasing it.

"Woody has been awesome because he's been there and done pretty much everything so to have him on my side and adding words of wisdom was perfect.

"It's awesome for me to be competing with the likes of Teimana (Harrison) and Jamie (Gibson) so hopefully I can keep playing well and keep getting selected.

"It's great to get a little bit of exposure and nice comments here and there, but I'm focusing on my game and trying to be the best I can be.

"I know personally I've got a very long way to go and I'm just trying to get better each week."

So what has Ludlam been told he needs to improve?

"At this level, you've got to do everything better," he said.

"I like to think of myself as more of a lineout forward and that might help me in the Premiership, where set piece is key.

"My job is to take the best bits from everyone's game and I'm always looking at other people to improve and the older lads here are awesome in passing on tricks of the trade."

Ludlam keeps calm during the build-up to rugby matches by playing a different sort of game.

"I live with (fellow Saints player) Rory Hutchinson so we do a bit of gaming," the Ipswich-born back row forward said.

"We go to the cinema a fair bit and we just try to switch off as much as possible when we're away from the club.

"Us youngsters push each other and it's definitely healthy for us."

Ludlam's talent was clear from a very early age and he was awarded the man of the match award on his England Under-18 debut.

He was named England's player of the tournament in the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 World Championships, when his country made the final.

And now Ludlam is starting to show his worth in the Saints first team, having made his debut against Newcastle Falcons in an Anglo-Welsh Cup match in November, 2016.

But it hasn't always been plain-sailing for the youngster, who suffered a couple of serious injuries while growing up at Saints.

"My first two seasons here were a little bit disappointing in regards to injuries," said Ludlam, who strutted his stuff for Colchester RFC in his early years as a rugby player.

"I broke my leg and then had a torn pectoral muscle so to stay fit is great but you're going to pick up injuries along the way.

"I'm just looking to get to the top and make myself a better player.

"When you're not playing, you realise how much you miss it.

"You get a burst of energy when you're back and it makes you work harder because you think you should be at a higher level.

"You just keep your head down and work hard."

Ludlam will look to do that against Leicester this weekend.

And having risen through the ranks at Saints, he needs no reminding what the derby means to the club.

"There's nothing like a derby, especially Saints-Leicester - it's historic and I'm looking forward to the occasion," Ludlam said.

"I've been playing Leicester from a young age and it's going to be cagey and confrontational.

"We know it's a massive game and we know there's going to be added edge.

"We're looking forward to the challenge."

The pressure is on for Saints after two below-par seasons and last Saturday's heavy defeat.

But cool-headed Ludlam isn't fazed.

He said: "We know Saints is a massive club and we're not where we should be at the moment.

"We're doing everything we can to change that and it's good to let it get to you a little bit to push you on and motivate you, but then you've got to focus on your own game.

"You can't let negative comments get to you too much."

It’s always handy when you are part of a three-team title race to be able to call on the services of one the best all-rounders in the country - and that’s exactly what Old Northamptonians did last weekend.

Former ONs player and current England T20 and ODI star David Willey was given permission to turn out for his old club in their Hevey Building Supplies NCL Premier Division clash with Stony Stratford, and not surprisingly, he had a serious impact.

Willey has been starved of cricket with his county Yorkshire in recent weeks, so was allowed to turn out for the ONs, and first he picked up a couple of wickets with the ball, claiming two for 39 as Stony struggled with the bat.

The England man was overshadowed by his former Northants team-mate Rob White, who snared four for 34 as Stony were dismissed for 110 at Northampton School for Boys.

That total was never likely to trouble table-topping ONs, and once opening bat Willey got going it was all over very quickly.

Willey, who was last week named in the England squad for the forthcoming one-day series and T20 international against the West Indies, got his eye in as he smashed 83 not out from just 37 balls, hammering five sixes and one four.

That meant ONs galloped to 111 for two in just 10.3 overs.

The win means ONs stay top of the premier division, maintaining their slender three-point advantage,

Second-placed Peterborough kept pace as they completed a nine-wicket thrashing of Saints, who were bowled out for just 147.

Rushton, who are third, lost ground as they could only draw with Oundle, but they are still only 10 points adrift of ONs.

Andrew Reynoldson hit 84 and Jack Parker 78 as Rushton made 231 for six, but Oundle held on for a share of the spoils at 197 for eight.

Fourth-placed Finedon Dolben are not completely out of the picture as they sit 30 points adrift of the leaders, and they beat Rushden by seven wickets.

Tom Brett took five for 56 as Rushden were dismissed for 167, before Jack Keeping’s 94 not out saw Finedon home.

Full results below.

Results, Saturday, September 2, 2017

PREMIER DIVISION

Brixworth 157-7 (Fred Newborough 28, Paul Blakemore 39, Tiann Raubenheimer 4-55) beat Geddington 156 all out (Amit Daniel 31, Chris Harrison 28, Luke Cummins 58, Fred Newborough 3-39, Callum Guest 3-24) by 3 wkts

Horton House 200-9 (Ewan Cox 64, Alex Mills 42, Akash Shah 27, Christopher Perry 3-41, Tom Doyle 3-28, Thomas Howes 3-55) lost to Wollaston 201-4 (Tom Doyle 30, Matthew Jones 71no, Cameron Monteith 41no, Mark Wolstenholme 3-57) by 6 wkts

Old Northamptonians 111-2 (David Willey 83no) beat Stony Stratford 110 all out (Kevin Wijesinghe 31, Rob White 4-35) by 8 wkts

Peterborough 149-1 (Asim Butt 88no, David Clarke 52) beat Northampton Saints 147 all out (Saif Zaib 30, Paul McMahon 7-30) by 9 wkts

Rushden 167 all out (Tom Smith 47, Tom Brett 5-56) lost to Finedon Dolben 168-3 (Callum Berrill 63, Jack Keeping 94no) by 7 wkts

Rushton 231-6 (Andrew Reynoldson 84, Jack Parker 78, Bashrat Hussain 5-68) drew with Oundle 197-8 (Peter Foster 71, Jack Bolsover 35, Harrison Craig 37no, Jake Higginbotham 4-53)

DIVISION ONE

Burton Latimer 293-6 (Aiden Cunningham 53, Scott Sanders 81, Udo Maartens 27, Luke Odell 64, George Halfhide 38) beat Desborough 184 all out (Wayne Steed 53, Malcolm Moody 63, Udo Maartens 5-68) by 109 runs

East Haddon 179-7 beat Loddington 178 all out (Jaymesh Patel 30, Andrew Flint 48, James Coles 48, Oliver Forskitt-Brown 4-37, Sean O’neill-Kerr 3-21) by 3 wkts

Finedon Dolben IIs 154 all out (Elliott West 36, Ben Atkinson 7-46) beat Isham 135 all out (Thomas Minney 3-66, Liam Creighton 4-23) by 19 runs

Overstone Park 220-8 (Matthew Sunter 74, Jacob Summers 44, Guy Sunter 38no) beat Old Northamptonians IIs 214 all out (Jack Newton 38, Richard Hudson 68) by 6 runs

Weekley and Warkton 180-4 (Sam Palmer 36, James Crichton 61no, Liam Piddington 38, Robert Pack 3-31) beat Brigstock 179 all out (Suk Singh 33, Duncan Croker 63, James Smith 5-65, William Patrick 5-38) by 6 wkts

Wellingborough Town 249-8 (James Howes 38, Connor Gates 86, William Farrar 35, George Groenland 5-62) beat Thrapston 223 all out (Chris Stoker 76, Ryan Wright 29, Alex King 3-64, Sam Owen 4-49) by 26 runs

DIVISION TWO

Irthlingborough Town 286-6 (Luke Fleming 77, Neil White 101no) drew with Great Houghton 277-5 (James Watson 135, Charles Hart 69, Kieran Lane 30no, Craig Fowler 3-57)

Kettering 233-3 (Guven Kooner 64, James Parker 79, Theo Brooks 31no) beat Old Wellingburians 229-5 (Matthew Ingram 57, Mujtaba Khan 38, Nehal Patel 45no, Terry Butt 31no, Shivam Popat 3-44) by 7 wkts

Long Buckby 171-1 beat Wellingborough Indians 167 all out by 9 wkts

Northampton Saints IIs 74-0 (Mohammad Shoaib Yaqub 37no) beat Rushden IIs 72 all out (James Rawlins 43, Swaboon Zazi 5-35) by 10 wkts

Old 123 all out (Ben Street 49, Richard Kendall 6-29, Mohammed Saif 3-39) lost to Peterborough IIs 125-3 (Sohail Hayat 41no) by 7 wkts

St Crispins Ryelands 124 all out (Chris Taylor 60no, Charlie Lawrence 5-22) lost to Earls Barton 242 all out (Thomas Mills 58, Matthew Rees 72, Tom Todd 51, Harry Rowe 3-63, Matt Rowe 4-76) by 118 runs

DIVISION THREE

Great Oakley 136 all out (Roy George 29, George Napier 4-36) lost to Brixworth IIs 138-5 (Phil Perryman 42, Ceri Roberts 31no, Dale Jones 3-27) by 5 wkts

Heyford 121 all out (Adam Linnell 33, Andrew Houlden 3-45, Tim Shepherdson 4-28) lost to Old Grammarians 126-3 (Anthony Shepherdson 91no) by 7 wkts

Old Northamptonians IIIs 177-4 (Tom Hogan 63no, Nathan McDonald 3-53) beat Irchester 176-5 (Andrew Brennan 33, Joe Morton 69) by 6 wkts

Oundle IIs 154 all out (Richard Cunningham 27, Jonathan Dalley 75no, Mehul Adatia 4-44, Ben Watts 3-49) lost to Rothwell 157-4 (Faraz Ulhaq 35, James Chambers 47, Ryan Spreadbury 32no) by 6 wkts

Stony Stratford IIs 205 all out (Graham Simpson 31, Benjamin Swingler-Brown 4-58) lost to Kislingbury 267-7 (Patrick Morris 66, Eddie Fowler 43, Stuart Brown 66no) by 62 runs

Wollaston IIs 266-6 (Sam Drage 79, Mark Carter 104, Steve Musgrave 34) beat Horton House IIs 129 all out (Stephen Finch 40, Steve Musgrave 7-26) by 137 runs

DIVISION FOUR

Finedon Dolben IIIs 167-2 (Simon Brett 115no) beat Wellingborough Town IIs 166-9 (Hiten Mistry 68, Tyrone Roach 31) by 8 wkts

Geddington IIs 225-8 (Steve Toseland 50, Daniel O’Callaghan 126, Ben Harris 4-43) beat St Crispins IIs 224-9 (Cavan Robinson 61, Adam Massey 33, Dan Herbert 28no, Lee Smith 3-48, Sam Smith 4-45) by 2 wkts

Grendon and Prims 154 all out beat Rushton IIs 136 all out by 18 runs

Podington 116 all out lost to Overstone Park IIs 205-9 (Hitesh Patel 52, Daniel Thacker 49no, Kieran Fowler 3-53, Ian Hart 3-74) by 89 runs

Raunds 165 all out (Adam Lack 49, Prince Jowells 29, Sam Freer 3-44, Anthony Roberts 4-33) lost to Bowden 169-5 (Charlie Standley 29, Sam Gomez 28, Daniel Broughton 39no) by 5 wkts

Weldon 156-2 beat West Haddon and Guilsborough 152 all out by 8 wkts

DIVISION FIVE

Cogenhoe 268-3 (Gareth Goddard 80, Darren Harrison 129no, Chris Dunn 3-69) beat S and L Corby 117 all out (Martin Pearce 37, Paul Smith 3-30, Fletcher Callaghan 3-16) by 151 runs

Higham Ferrers 174-4 (Matt Ford 66no, James Walker 45, Phillip Materna 41, Seb Lord 3-44) beat Bold Dragoon 172 all out (Daniel Blatch 51, Sam Spencer 55, Danny Harris 4-38, Christian Smart 3-35, Toby Webbley 3-20) by 6 wkts

Kempston 170-3 (Ashley Field 66, Nigel Thorn 33no) beat Weekley and Warkton IIs 169 all out (Lee Fox 41, Nick Dalziel 60, Chris Stokes 31, Leon Harvey 4-36, Daniel Denton 4-44) by 7 wkts

Rothwell IIs 260-7 (Jordan Bell-Henshaw 50, Stephen O’Brien 109, Jonathan Swann 50, Joseph Leah 3-55) drew with Northampton Saints IIIs 244-9 (Syed Al Naqi 156, Daniel Craig 3-55)

Stony Stratford IIIs 206-6 (Andy Preston 32, Asad Masroor 62, Will Negus 3-50) beat Yelvertoft 204-6 (Will Negus 61, John Edmund Barrows 49no, Martin Lewis 33, Neil Fewtrell 4-46) by 4 wkts

Thrapston IIs 156-8 drew with Kettering IIs 189 all out

DIVISION SIX

Isham IIs 165-8 (Alex Skerrett 84, Shaun Wills 42no, Bill Craddock 3-47) lost to Burton Latimer IIs 168-3 (Alen Sewell 70, John Boss 63no) by 7 wkts

Loddington IIs 223-8 (Luke Hanley 107, Ranjit Nanda 41, Shay Kirk 3-45) drew with Irthlingborough Town IIs 230 all out (Pete Whiting 45, Paul Parsons 35, Brady Stratford-Day 51no, George Denton 4-42)

Obelisk 120 all out (Ryan Rayment 31, John Burdett 3-27, Michael Allen 3-27, Amir Ahmed 3-10) lost to Harlestone 121-5 (Joe Ball 68no, Ryan Rayment 4-45) by 5 wkts

Wellingborough Indians IIs 146-4 (Sunil Semplay 54, Pritam Patel 34no) beat Carrib United 144-6 (Raheem Ghafoor 36) by 6 wkts

DIVISION SEVEN

Desborough IIs 201-9 (Daniel Barton 35, Ian Ward 4-23) lost to Gretton 203-3 (Steven Baines 103no, James Bates 39no) by 7 wkts

Earls Barton IIs 222-9 (David Howe 46, Paul Smith 49, Daniel Jackson 37, Mark Patching 50, Graeme Robinson 3-35, Jim Swan 3-46) drew with S and L Corby IIs 196-7 (Jim Swan 36, Ben Lawman 125, Paul Smith 3-33)

Horton House IIIs 162-8 (Paul Wolstenholme 41, Dan James 47, Sam Heath 3-32, Josh Day 3-36) beat Spencer Bruerne 150 all out (Ashley Morris 34, Arun Rajaraman 36, Finlay Moffat 6-28) by 12 runs

Mears Ashby 111 all out (Harrison Pullen 3-14, Nathan Vesey 5-21) lost to Great Oakley IIs 287-5 (David Peel 175no, Gareth Evans 36, Mike Thompson 3-65) by 176 runs

St Michaels 74 134-8 Chris Goodson 67no, Anthony Webb 30, David James Hornby 4-32, Lewis Hunt 4-12) beat Old IIs 133 all out (Tom Watson 54, Steven Spruels 4-10) by 2 wkts

DIVISION EIGHT

Bowden IIs 223-2 (Fergus Kenny 125, Michael Brammer 54no) beat Raunds IIs 167 all out (Saul Croxford 43, Stephen Crane 52, Collette Wale 4-32) by 56 runs

Old Northamptonians IVs 169 all out (Adam Malin 48, Gary Ray 34, Harry Tucker 6-17) drew with Abington 98-8 (Harry Tucker 32, Gareth Edlington 38, Gary Ray 3-16)

Oundle IIIs 74 all out (Billal Bashir 3-12) lost to Bugbrooke 75-5 (Kenneth Dobbins 28no, Spencer Smith 4-38) by 5 wkts

Overstone Park IIIs 185-3 (Andrew Thacker 39, Sam Wood 42, Neel Patel 54no, Steve Arnold 42) beat Barton Seagrave 182-8 (Matt Earl 53, Jack Butlin 49, Jon Jenkins 3-35) by 7 wkts

St Michaels beat West Haddon and Guilsborough IIs by forfeit

DIVISION NINE

Brixworth IIIs 229-6 (Robert Dow 36, Rory Green 48, David Bodily 63, Luke Hunter 3-68) beat St Crispins Ryelands IIIs 146-8 (Tim Brown 4-28, David Hughes 3-21) by 83 runs

Great Houghton IIs 159-2 (Sam Hughes 76, Alex Osborn 28no, Ryan West 34no) beat Old Wellingburians IIs 156 all out (Ashish Ganatra 49no) by 8 wkts

Irchester IIs 76 all out (Joe Oliver 5-24) lost to Long Buckby IIs 77-1 (Joe Oliver 41) by 9 wkts

Old Grammarians IIs 133 all out (Martin Jarvis 39, Craig Lewis 6-37) beat Hardingstone 132 all out (Steve Coles 59, Ian Roberts 35, Lahkan Trivedi 3-26, Matthew Ward 3-46) by 1 run

DIVISION 10

Brigstock IIs 285-4 (James Steward 111no, Simon Goodson 63, Jamie Mills 33) beat Rushden IIIs 150 all out (Jack Lake 31, Paul Wildman 29, Rachel Firm 27) by 135 runs

Geddington IIIs 162-7 (Brodie Biddle 38, Caitlin Monteith 3-33) lost to Wollaston IIIs 281-7 (Cameron Melly 73, Andy Luck 58, Andrew Monteith 53, Benjamin York 4-48) by 119 runs

Harlestone IIs 229-7 beat Weekley and Warkton IIIs 134 all out by 95 runs

Kettering IIIs 124 all out (Richard Clark 33, Sean Stanley 3-21, Joshua Lucas- Knight 3-10) lost to Weldon IIs 125-2 (Will Jones 79no) by 8 wkts

DIVISION 11

Horton House IVs 100 all out (Paul Das 30, Guvinder Bhangal 31, Mark Bird 4-5, Chris Mason 4-22) lost to Cogenhoe IIs 101-3 (Jack Quennell 43no) by 7 wkts

Kislingbury IIs beat Higham Ferrers IIs by forfeit

St Crispins Ryelands IVs 115 all out (Stephen Leak 36, Archie Dunkley 4-25) lost to Overstone Park IVs 116-1 (Alan Fitz 45no, George Barry 33no) by 9 wkts

DIVISION 12

Bold Dragoon IIs 220-4 (Saad Ahmad 101, Daniel Kelly 85, Ollie Holmes 3-50) beat Grange Park 130 all out (Rob Pinnington 30, Zakary Farah 4-12) by 90 runs

Bugbrooke IIs 204-8 (Liam Jackson 39, Stuart Gray 6-44) lost to Mears Ashby IIs 205-4 (Charlie Threadgold 77, Jamie Chamberlain 66no, George Briddon 3-40) by 6 wkts

Hardingstone IIs 162 all out lost to St Michaels 74 IIs 165-7 by 3 wkts

Old Grammarians IIIs 119 all out (Calvin Green 34, Huw Turner 5-45) lost to Stony Stratford IVs 191-6 (Hashan Ramanadanpulle 60no, Graham Brandom 29, Daniel Nagy 58, Calvin Green 3-34) by 72 runs

DIVISION 13

Barby IIIs 250-6 (John Hardbattle 30, Oliver Hawkins 111no, Thomas Lynch 36no) beat S and L Corby IIIs 92 all out (Jimmy Waheed 27, Keith Lawman 41, Dave Norton 5-20) by 158 runs

Spencer Bruerne IIs 218-3 (Steve Faulkner 55, Mark Behan 65, Peter Stead 43) beat Kettering IVs 137-8 (Vishal Sharma 40, Michael Tanser 47, Andy Coles 5-24) by 81 runs

Stony Stratford Vs 89 all out (Oscar Watson 31, Benjamin Elston 3-18, Neil Kitchener 4-4) lost to Old IIIs 135 all out (Benjamin Elston 32, John Chilton 42, Ravi Dhaliwal 3-24, Anuj Kaulgud 3-36) by 46 runs

Thrapston IVs 257-1 (Andrew Thomas 141no, Ryan Draper 68) beat Isham Zingari 135-9 (Chris Giles 28) 122 runs

Fixtures

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Premier Division: Finedon Dolben v Peterborough, Geddington v Rushden, Northampton Saints v Rushton, Oundle v Old Northamptonians, Stony Stratford v Horton House, Wollaston v Brixworth.

Division One: Brigstock v Wellingborough Town, Desborough v Weekley & Warkton, Isham v East Haddon, Loddington v Burton Latimer, Old Northamptonians IIs v Finedon Dolben IIs, Thrapston v Overstone Park.

Division Two: Earls Barton v Irthlingborough Town, Great Houghton v Kettering, Old Wellingburians v Old, Peterborough IIs v Northampton Saints IIs, Rushden IIs v Long Buckby, Wellingborough Indians v St Crispin & Ryelands.

Division Three: Brixworth IIs v Wollaston IIs, Horton House IIs v Stony Stratford IIs, Irchester v Heyford, Kislingbury v Oundle IIs, Old Grammarians v Great Oakley, Rothwell v Old Northamptonians IIIs.

Division Four: Bowden v Podington, Overstone Park IIs v Finedon Dolben IIIs, Rushton IIs v Raunds, St Crispin & Ryelands IIs v Weldon, Wellingborough Town IIs v Geddington IIs, West Haddon & Guilsborough v Grendon & Prims.

Division Five: Bold Dragoon v Cogenhoe, Kettering IIs v Rothwell IIs, Northampton Saints IIIs v Kempston, S&L Corby v Thrapston IIs, Weekley & Warkton IIs v Stony Stratford IIIs, Yelvertoft v Higham Ferrers.

Division Six: Podington IIs v Caribbean United.

Division Seven: Mears Ashby v Earls Barton IIs, Old IIs v Horton House IIIs.

Division Eight: Oundle IIIs v Raunds IIs.

Division Nine: Heyford IIs v Long Buckby IIs.

Division 11: Finedon Dolben IVs v Kislingbury IIs, Higham Ferrers IIs v Cogenhoe IIs, Horton House IVs v Burton Latimer IIIs, Old Northamptonians Vs v Overstone Park IVs.

Division 12: Grange Park v Mears Ashby IIs, Old Grammarians IIIs v Obelisk IIs, Stony Stratford IVs v St Michaels 74 IIs.

Division 13: Brixworth IVs v Barby IIIs, Isham Zingari v Old IIIs, Kettering IVs v Thrapston IVs.