Northamptonshire batsman Rob Newton to leave county at end of 2020 season

The decision to let him go has been announced early in order to give him as much time to explore options elsewhere. He will, though, remain available for selection until the end of the 2020 season – whenever that may be

Northamptonshire batsman Rob Newton will leave the county at the end of the season, with the club opting not to extend his contract.

The 30-year-old has been with the club since the age of 14, making his first-class debut in 2010 and going on to make 164 appearances across all formats, scoring 5,675 runs in red-ball cricket.

Whatever becomes of this season, however, will be his last at Wantage Road. The campaign will not begin prior to August 1 at the earliest because of the coronavirus crisis, making this an uncertain time for players in the final year of their current deals.

Newton made just 396 runs in 10 matches last season as Northants were promoted to the top tier of the County Championship, and the decision to let him go has been announced early in order to give him as much time to explore options elsewhere. He will, though, remain available for selection until the end of the 2020 season – whenever that may be.

Head coach David Ripley explained: “Ultimately, we’re trying to work in Rob’s best interests with what has been a really difficult decision, which is why we’ve decided to make this call earlier than perhaps you would normally.

“Rob’s a fantastic cricketer and we wanted to make sure we left the door open for him to be able to continue his career elsewhere if he chose to.

“Joining the academy at a young age and going on to score 16 centuries for the club is something Rob can be really proud of, it’s a fantastic achievement. He’s had a great conversion rate and many of those were in tough conditions against the new ball so they were hard-earned runs he was scoring.

“He’s been particularly unlucky though with some freakish injuries, without those he would have added many more to that total I’m sure.

“I’d like to thank Rob for the excellent service he has given the club. On a personal note he has been a great support to me in all my roles with the academy, second team and first team. I wish him well in the next stage of his career and will definitely be keeping an eye on his progress, wherever he goes.”

Newton added: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Northants and have made some lifelong friends at the club.

“Scoring 15 first-class hundreds is something I take great pride in but I also feel I have the capacity to double that number and with that in mind I am excited by the opportunity to pursue my career elsewhere.

“I wish the team plenty of success and finally I would like to thank the loyal supporters who have travelled home and away to support their county.”

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