Northants line up Steffan Jones

Northamptonshire are on the verge of signing Steffan Jones from Somerset. Steve Coverdale, the chief executive, confirmed that "negotiations are very advanced and we hope we'll have something finalised in the next few days."

Jones, 29, has been at Somerset since 1997 but has been told he can leave the club and he has reportedly been offered a two-year deal by Northants. If they do capture Jones, he will join other new faces Usman Afzaal and Martin van Jaarsveld at the club, but whether Jones was the "big-name signing" Coverdale promised earlier this week is doubtful, so watch this space.