Josh Cobb

Josh Cobb has built his reputation primarily as a dangerous T20 batsman and occasional offspinner. Never was that more apparent than in the 2016 NatWest Blast final when his audacious 80 took Northants to a final-over victory against Durham. It earned him a second player-of-the-match award in the Blast Final after taking 4 for 22 against Somerset in 2011 for Leicestershire, his home county.

The move from Grace Road to Wantage Road came in 2015 and saw Cobb grow into a leader after showing an early knack for the role. He is captain of the Steelbacks in white ball cricket and also took charge of Welsh Fire during the 2022 men's Hundred.

Cobb was a quick developer, making his first-class debut for Leicestershire aged just 17 and became the county's youngest century-maker when he made an unbeaten 148 against Middlesex at Lord's in 2008. He was not a regular member of the four-day side when he put in his matchwinning Twenty20 Finals Day performance but corrected that in 2012, scoring 752 first-class runs at 34.18 and recording his second century against Derbyshire at Derby in April.

His father, Russell, played at Leicestershire during the 1980s and Josh attended Oakham School, whose other cricketing graduates include current England players Stuart Broad and James Taylor and the former England women's captain, Lucy Pearson.

Cobb is an aggressive top-order batsman and occasional offspinner who hit the headlines with a memorable man-of-the-match performance in the FLt20 Final in 2011. He bashed a 10-ball 18 with the bat and took four wickets to give Leicestershire an unlikely victory over Somerset.

He cemented his place at No 5 in Leicestershire's four-day side in 2012. He took over the Leicestershire captaincy in CB40 during 2012 and also twice led the team in the Championship. He was named the county's one-day and T20 captain in 2013 as well as becoming vice-captain to Sarwan in four-day cricket.

He started the 2013 YB40 campaign in exceptional fashion, scoring a century in each of the first three matches in leading the team to victories. In all, he amassed 578 runs at an impressive average of 52.54 with a strike rate of almost 114. Against Somerset, he shared a record-breaking 235 with opening partner Greg Smith on a fantastic afternoon of cricket.

Cobb was part of an exodus from the Leicestershire squad that finished bottom of the Championship second division in 2014 without winning a match for the second successive season. Cobb, Leicestershire's one-day captain, joined Northants after scoring 3,133 first-class runs for his hometown club and also skippering them in the Championship in the absence of Ramnaresh Sarwan.