Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Patrick Allen, appointed as Silverstone Circuits' managing director in 2014, has been suspended for being "too close" to a tycoon Lawrence Tomlinson who is bidding to take over the circuit, the City AM website, external reports.

Mr Allen is an associate of Mr Tomlinson's and was the commercial director of his LNT Group in 2011.

The BRDC, which owns the circuit, has confirmed to the BBC that Mr Allen is on leave of absence but won't comment further.

Listen to live BBC local radio commentary as Northamptonshire face Leicestershire in the County Championship.

Martin Borley
BBC Radio Northampton

Tresham College, which has campuses in Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough, has been rated "inadequate" by the education watchdog Ofsted, external. 

The inspection report - published today - criticises the college management, the quality of teaching, the outcomes for learners, 16 to 19 study programmes and apprenticeships. 

Tresham's principal Stuart Wesselby says they are "extremely disappointed" by Ofsted's findings.

"The college management team will now be working with staff to continue making progress and implement strategies to address the areas of concern raised."

Looking back through the archives and on this day in 1975 British racing motorcyclist Barry Sheene (1950-2003) won the Grand Prix on the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire.

Image source, Getty Images

He is photographed taking Becketts corner at speed on a 750cc Suzuki during the John Player Motorcycle Grand Prix. 

Northants Herald & Post

A Northampton teenager has died following a 'fatal incident', external in the sea while on holiday in Canada - just a month after he attended his school's leavers' prom and was due to receive his GCSE results.  

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

It was a touch chilly out there first thing, but temperatures are set to climb through the day to reach highs of 18C (64F).

Dry and bright this morning with light winds, though there is the chance of a shower in a few places. 

Check out the latest forecast here.

Jodie Smith
BBC News

Northamptonshire's cricketers have booked their place at the T20 finals day for the third time in four years.

The Steelbacks beat Middlesex by seven wickets, with 11 balls to spare, in last night's quarter final at Wantage Road.

Finals day is at Edgbaston (pictured below) a week on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Jodie Smith
BBC News

Thanks for joining us for Wednesday's live updates for the county.

We'll bring you the latest news, sport, weather and travel through until 18:00 this evening.

We'll start today's feed with a look at the weather - don't know about you, but I found it rather nippy outside this morning! Things are set to warm up slightly through the day though, so don't worry. 

We'll bring you a full forecast shortly.

John-Joe O'Toole's extra-time winner against Championship side Barnsley sees Northampton reach the EFL Cup second round.

Northants reach T20 Blast Finals Day for the second year running with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Middlesex.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Rather cloudy with a few showers across the East region this evening but these will tend to fade to leave a largely dry night with clear spells. Lows of 8C (46F).

There's a risk of some early showers tomorrow, but generally a dry day with sunny spells. Maximum temperature: 18C (64F).

You'll find your latest local forecast at BBC Weather.

Earlier we mentioned the death of Norfolk racing driver Jack Sears. The winner of the inaugural British Touring Cars series in 1958, he died at the weekend aged 86.

Doyen of the motor racing world Murray Walker said Mr Sears, who was born in Northampton, was "an absolutely charming, cheerful, friendly, impeccably dressed, wonderful mannered man who was a Norfolk farmer who also happened to be a gigantic and successful racing driver."

Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk's Matthew Gudgin, Mr Walker described Sears as "enormously talented and could put his hand to anything behind a steering wheel and do well."

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Northamptonshire have two quarter-finals coming up, tonight in the T20, and next Thursday against Surrey in the One-Day Cup, again at Wantage Road and the chief executive of the cricket club has said that those extra matches will "help" the county's finances, but it was "all about support and spectators".

Image source, Getty Images

Chief exec Ray Payne said the proposed city-based T20 competition "wouldn't be good news" as cricket needed a "good foundation in county teams", adding that they would "show that tonight with a sell-out".

Also, following the depature of Olly Stone for next season and David Willey last year, he said they could hold on the likes of Ben Duckett (pictured for England Lions), because he "achieved what he did by opening for Northants in all forms of the game."

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Ray Payne, chief executive at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, external admitted he is a "nervous wreck" ahead of their T20 quarter-final against Middlesex.

Mr Payne said the T20 Blast was a "big tournament" for Northamptonshire and they have seen gates rise by 32% this year.

He put that down to Northants having "a reputation for being formidable" in the T20 and they had targetted a quarter-final place before the tournament began and they are "delighted it's at home".

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

With a place at Finals Day at stake, a lot of eyes will be on tonight's T20 quarter-final, but Northamptonshire batsman Ben Duckett said he will "forget about all that stuff".

He told BBC Radio Northampton that all the Northants players have performed well and "that's why we're here".

Image source, Getty Images

Asked about what he does until when the game starts at 18.30, the 21-year-old said it was hard "doing nothing until three or four in the afternoon" adding that he was "getting a bit bored".

He said that although they hadn't faced Middlesex before in T20, Northants would "be the underdog again like we always are".

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Northamptonshire, external and England Lions batsman Ben Duckett said he's "really looking forward" to their T20 quarter-final against Middlesex tonight adding that he "can't wait to get out there".

Image source, Getty Images

Duckett, 21, has caught the eye this season with strong performance in all three formats of the game, but modestly said his year had "gone well so far".

He told BBC Radio Northampton presenter Annabel Amos, who is live at Wantage Road, that his favourite format of the game is the 50-over one-day game, but said when Northamptonshire are playing at home in the T20 it was "awesome".

The world of motorsport is paying tribute to Jack Sears who has died at the age of 86. 

Image source, Getty Images

Nicknamed "Gentleman Jack", he was the winner of the inaugural British Touring Cars series back in 1958.

The British Automobile Racing Club, external confirmed that the Northampton-born driver, who lived in Ashill, Norfolk, died on Saturday night.

The next Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) event, which takes place this weekend at Knockhill (13-14 August), will be marked with a minute’s silence as a tribute to Mr Sears, who farmed in west Norfolk.

BTCC series director Alan Gow said: "It is with great regret and genuine sadness to learn of Jack’s death. I really liked Jack a lot… not only as an extremely talented and inspirational racing driver, but more importantly as a hugely popular, humble and impressive human being."

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

This end of the T20 competition is not new territory for Northamptonshire as last year they made it to the final, losing out to Lancashire by just 13 runs.

Image source, Getty Images

But then back in 2013 Northamptonshire won the T20 beating Surrey by 102 runs.

Image source, Getty Images

It was Northants' first one-day trophy since they beat Leicestershire in the final of the Natwest Trophy in 1992.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Middlesex have not faced Northamptonshire before in T20 and Steelbacks head coach David Ripley admitted that he doesn't "know them that well", but added "it's all about how we play".

Image source, Getty Images

Ripley, who guided the county to T20 victory in 2013 said: "If we play our best on the night, and being at home, we'll take some beating".

Mal Loye
Former Northants and England batsman

T20 and one-day cricket is something that Northamptonshire target - they've got very good white ball players and the experience of Finals Day and big games in white-ball cricket are the reasons why they've been so successful.

Image source, Getty Images

They'll play in front of packed Wantage Road tonight and a home crowd will make a difference.

Apart from the most recent game against Yorkshire, where the result didn't really matter, they've played so well at home, so they'll be hoping for a repeat tonight.

Mal Loye will be part of BBC Radio Northampton's commentary team this evening from 18:00.