Darren Lehmann defends Northants' decision to bat first at Lord's

Northants faced Middlesex in the season's closing County Championship fixture at Lord's on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The county sat third in the standings heading into the round, needing victory to finish above Kent if the second-placed side failed to win or secure bonus points. Kent held a four-point advantage in the promotion race, making this clash a decisive moment in Northants' bid for elevation.

Captain Luke Procter won the toss and elected to bat first at 10:30am. The decision proved costly as Northants collapsed dramatically, reaching just 46 for five before being bowled out for 103 in 37 overs. Middlesex responded with 255, establishing a commanding position. Twenty wickets fell across the day, reflecting the challenging conditions at the ground. James Sales top-scored with 43 for Northants.

"It didn't do a lot at all, and it wasn't a bad wicket. We probably got the ball to do more when we bowled, and it is definitely a new ball wicket and you have to find a way to get through the new ball,” said head coach Darren Lehmann as quoted by Northamptonshire Telegraph.

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Lehmann's assessment of the pitch and batting performance

Lehmann suggested that the surface was suited to batting if approached correctly and the collapse reflected the batting order's inability to negotiate the early overs rather than a fundamentally uplayable pitch.

"But it is certainly not a put them in wicket, and certainly not a 103 wicket. It is more of a 300 wicket. You have to play conditions, and the wicket said bat, and we didn't bat well at all," said Lehmann.

"Middlesex are of course in front of the game, but they have probably given us a bit of a sniff if we bat well. I think the batters will rectify it and they will bat better than they did on day one, and if they don't well that's the way the cookie crumbles. Fingers crossed someone in the top order gets a 100, we put some pressure back on Middlesex, and then come day three we are still batting with a few wickets in hand," he concluded.