Northamptonshire have awarded David Sales a benefit for next season. He is the captain and the club's longest-serving player of the current staff. Sales, 28, joined in 1994 and has been captain since 2004.

"I am very grateful to the club for offering me a benefit next year," said Sales. "2006 has been a year of change and I am sure together we can help the club build on the foundations currently being laid".

So far in his first-class career he has amassed 8640 runs, at 39.81, with a highest score of 303 not out.