Lance Morris and Chris Tremain: Northamptonshire sign Australian pair in short-term deals

Lance Morris (left) and Chris Tremain play for Western Australia and New South Wales respectively

Northamptonshire have signed Australian pace bowlers Chris Tremain and Lance Morris on short-term contracts.

Tremain, 31, will play the opening three County Championship games with Morris, 25, who regularly clocks over 90mph, taking over for the next three.

They will join compatriot Sam Whiteman in the Northants squad.

Morris took 31 wickets to help Western Australia reach the Sheffield Shield final and was rewarded with a place in the Test squad to tour India.

He was also named Bradman Young Player of the Year at the Australian cricket awards.

"He possesses express pace and has been highly talked about, I'm looking forward to seeing him charging in wearing a Northamptonshire shirt," said bowling coach Chris Liddle.

Tremain has taken 288 first-class wickets at an average of 24.02 - 20 in this winter's Sheffield Shield - and played four one-day internationals in 2016.

"Playing county cricket has always been a bucket-list thing for me," he said.

"It's been a pretty quick turnaround from the end of our season [in Australia], so I'm glad we could get everything sorted in time to get me on the plane."

Northamptonshire finished sixth in Championship Division One last summer and start the new campaign on Friday with an away game against Kent at Canterbury.

"We're really pleased to have Chris joining us for the first few games," said head coach John Sadler.

"He's got a great skill-set and we like his approach to the game, Sam [Whiteman] rates him highly as well."