Capel follows Sussex's lead

David Capel © Getty Images

Northamptonshire head coach David Capel hopes to use the example of Sussex as a blueprint for success at Wantage Road.

Sussex were unquestionably the team of 2006, completing a domestic double by winning the Liverpool Victoria County Championship and C&G Trophy.

Northants, by contrast, endured a difficult season both on and off the pitch.

They won just three championship matches all summer, and had managed a solitary one-day victory in 10 attempts when Capel took over from Kepler Wessels at the end of July.

That they finished second in NatWest Pro40 Division One is testament to the impact Capel made during his caretaker stewardship - he has since been appointed coach on a permanent basis - and he is confident he can replicate the feats of Sussex.

Peter Moores has passed on coaching advice to Capel

“I’ve looked at what I think makes a successful team, and I’ve been a fan of Sussex,” he told ecb.co.uk.

“What they have achieved is fantastic and I want to use that as a model. It would be a pretty good one to follow.

“It’s quite easy to see what Sussex have done,” Capel added, referring to the team spirit engendered at Hove by former coach Peter Moores - who steered Sussex to the championship for the first time in their history in 2003 - and his successor, Mark Robinson.

“A lot of it has come through from observations and I’ve seen what they have done down there.

“I have also spoken to Peter Moores and he confirmed what I saw. He left a legacy there and they are continuing that now.

“It worked at Sussex and we’ll try and make it work here.”

Capel, who spent his entire playing career at Wantage Road before becoming Academy director, insists he will mould a side within the county’s “philosophy”.

Capel is keen to foster a sense of togetherness at Northants

“There is a way and a style of going about it,” he said.

“You can’t do it from the text book and there won’t be too many theories because it happens fairly naturally."

Team spirit and hard work appear to be central themes in Capel’s approach to coaching, which paid dividends late in the summer as Northants won their last four completed one-day games.

Far from being daunted by the prospect of bringing a first trophy in 15 years to Northants, Capel is relishing the challenge that lies ahead.

“We’ve got aspirations and we’ve got opportunities,” said the former all-rounder, who played 15 Tests for England between 1987 and 1990.

“You can talk as much as you like, but at the end of the day we’ve got to get off our backsides and do something about it.

“It’s very much about getting the players together - I just want to help the players maximise their potential.

“These are exciting times and I’m enjoying it so far.”