Over and out for Klusener

Lance Klusener has played his last game for Northamptonshire, after it was decided that the all-rounder would sit out the final LV County Championship match against Middlesex at Wantage Road.

Klusener’s absence means that his Northants career ended with a first-ball duck and a solitary wicket against Essex earlier in the month, which is surely no reflection of the contributions of the South African talisman.

The 37-year-old scored 1095 runs this season at an average of 73, with nine fifties and two hundreds, including an unbeaten 202 against Glamorgan.

Klusener, a veteran of 49 Tests and 171 one-day internationals, has been released by the county, along with long-serving off-spinner Jason Brown and seamer Richard Logan.

“We were understandably keen for Lance to play. We wanted to give him a swansong, so he could bow out in the final game of the season,” Northamptonshire head coach David Capel told ecb.co.uk.

Lance Klusener's contributions with bat and ball for Northants almost led them to promotion

“But with us now unable to secure promotion and the match a dead rubber, his motivation was not perhaps as it would have been, and he decided to give up his place to a younger player.

"His performances at number five or six have been exceptional, and his contribution over the last few seasons huge."

His place is taken by young all-rounder Mark Nelson, who has made a solitary championship appearance against Warwickshire.

Capel makes two other changes to his XI. Steven Crook is recalled in place of Andrew Hall, who has a calf strain.

Strike bowler Johan van der Wath is sidelined with the injury that he picked up during the draw with Essex, so David Wigley takes his place.

Middlesex have named a 12-man squad, but Dawid Malan's name is missing as he has fractured a bone in his hand.

His place has been taken by Ed Joyce, with Adam London once again named but likely to miss out on the final XI.

Tim Murtagh passed 100 wickets for the season across all competitions in taking 6-52 against Worcestershire last week and will want to end his season on a high by adding to that tally at Northampton.

Murali Kartik is still being rested as he has a sore hand.