Northants plan pre-season tour to South Africa in March

David Capel is planning for his fifth full season as coach at Wantage Road

Northants are to visit South Africa in March to undertake the county's first overseas pre-season tour since 2002.

Head coach David Capel will lead a squad of 16 players and four support staff, who will spend two weeks based in Port Elizabeth.

The team are set to play four one-day games, as well as a three-day match against local opposition.

"It's a long winter indoors and the lads need to get cricket outdoors," Capel told BBC Radio Northampton.

"It registered with me when we played at Leicester in our opening County Championship match last season.

"We'd had just one day batting and one day bowling against Oxford University - and it showed.

"I think this tour will be a really good way of getting us into the game and ready for the new campaign."

Northants will leave on 9 March and arrive home 16 days later - a week before their opening fixture at Loughborough University.

The club's last overseas trip was to Grenada nine years ago.