Bus parade for Northamptonshire's T20 cricket champions

Steelbacks Captain, Alex Wakely, lifts the T20 Blast trophy after beating Durham in last month's final

Northamptonshire's cricketers have celebrated their Twenty20 Blast victory with an open-top bus parade.

Fans lined the route in Northampton in the rain on Saturday to see the players, who beat Durham in the final.

The bus left Wantage Road at 11:45 BST and travelled along Wellingborough Road to a civic reception at the Guildhall.

Captain Alex Wakely described fans' support as "overwhelming" - it helped the team achieve its objective of lifting the trophy.

The team that beat Durham paraded the trophy in an open top bus parade through Northampton

He said: "I love this club and town so much and it means the absolute world that we have been given the chance to show off our trophy.

"The support from fans this year has been the best I have ever played in front of.

Some of the fans who lined the streets as the open top bus made its way around the town

"At the beginning of the season we knew we had a good team that could win the T20 Blast and it's phenomenal we achieved that."

Coach David Ripley said he was "pleasantly surprised" so many many people turned out in the rain to see them.

"It blasted down rain after the final, for the Saints (rugby) and now - so there's a watery theme," he quipped.

Northants beat Durham by four wickets at Edgbaston on 20 August, to win the T20 Blast for the second time.

The Steelbacks have already paraded their trophy twice, at Franklin's Gardens and Sixfields stadiums last weekend.

They are the second sports team in Northampton to be given an open-top bus tour this year, following Northampton Town Football Club's parade in April.

They also celebrated with a bus parade when they won the T20 Blast in 2013.

The mayor welcoming the winning team at the Guildhall surrounded by dedicated fans

The proud players parade the T20 Blast trophy won by defeating a strong Durham side