Northampton manager Chris Wilder described the Cobblers’ 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley this afternoon as a “fair result” but felt his side created enough chances to take all three points.

The visitors struggled to get going in a first half that was dominated by the home side, however Stanley’s failure to capitalise on their chances came back to haunt them when Marc Richards’ delicate finish gave Town am undeserved half-time lead.

Accrington picked up from where they left off after the restart and finally their pressure paid off when Josh Windass emphatically powered home a spot-kick.

The Cobblers finished strongly, though, with Richards, Nicky Adams and Sam Hoskins all denied by fine saves from Jason Mooney in the home goal.

Wilder said afterwards: “I think it was a fair result. I wasn’t too pleased with our first half performance.

“We were second best but got a great goal just before half-time which gave us some breathing space, and then it wasn’t a great start to the second half in terms of the penalty we gave away.

“It was a poor challenge and I thought the boy went over quite easily but if there’s any contact the referee is going to make a decision.

“We introduced a couple of players and I thought for the last 25 to 30mins we possibly should have gone on to win the game with the amount of chances and possession we had.

“It’s been a difficult week for us and we’ve done a lot of travelling. I’m not giving any excuses but we looked quite a tired team in the first 40 minutes.

“But we dug in and got a result and I think that’s part of being successful. If we are going to kick-on we have to come to places like this and get a result and we’ve done that.

“At any level it’s about winning first and second balls. If you win first and second balls and you’re bright and sharp that allows you to play and to control the game.

“But if you don’t do that then it gives the opposition an opportunity to hurt you and Accrington did that – they were brighter and sharper than us in the first half.

“When we did get a foothold, I thought we opened them up and their goalkeeper made more saves than ours.”

Wilder praised goalkeeper Adam Smith’s kicking after the Cobblers stopper set up the opening goal with a long ball forward which Richards latched onto before brilliantly finishing past Mooney

“We’re going to use Smith’s kicking to our advantage,” Wilder added. “Modern day keepers are great with their feet and Smith is exactly that.

“That’s why I bought him into the club and Ryan (Clarke) is the same.

“It was a great finish and gave us an undeserved lead at half-time.

“We then showed a lot of heart and a lot of character to drive the game forward and made positives subs to try and win the game.

“If you can’t win you have to make sure you get something and that was the message today.

“We haven’t won but we’ve come away with a valuable point. We didn’t deserve to win – they were the better team first half and we were the better team in the second half.

“We’ve created enough to win the game but overall the result is fair and it’s a decent outcome for us after a tough week.”

Wilder also confirmed that John-Joe O’Toole is not injured and his omission from today’s squad was a decision taken by the Cobblers boss.

However, he insists that both O’Toole and Chris Hackett, who’s also on the transfer list but was on the bench at Accrington, are available for selection for future games.

Wilder added: “I’ve picked an 18 to come up here. The situation with John-Joe and Chris Hackett hasn’t changed. My position has not changed on either.

“They’re both available and we have to balance it. We made a decision to bring these 18 players up to get a result today and they’ve done that.”

Northants Steelbacks have reached the final of the NatWest T20 Blast, and will play Lancashire Lightning in Saturday night’s final.

David Ripley’s men set up the Edgbaston clash after beating Birmingham Bears in the morning semi-final.

Chron photgrapher Kirsty Edmonds was there to capture the action, and here is a selection of her images from the game.

Northants Steelbacks suffered Twenty20 heartbreak as they were beaten by 13 runs by Lancashire Lightning in a thrilling final under the Edgbaston floodlights.

David Ripley’s side just came up short in front of a 20,000 crowd in the Natwest T20 Blast Final, finishing on 153 for six in reply to the Lightning’s 166 for seven, with none of the batsmen playing the big innings that would have won the game.

Josh Cobb tried to see the team home, but his 44 from 37 balls was to no avail.

David Willey, with 24, Ben Duckett (20) and Shahid Afridi (26) all made starts, but couldn’t carry it through as Lightning celebrated their first one-day trophy since 1999.

Earlier, a decent all-round bowling effort had kept Lancashire in range for the Steelbacks, but they were left to rue conceding 24 from the final two overs of the innings.

Steelbacks named an unchanged team from the semi-final, and after skipper Alex Wakely won the toss he once again decided to bowl first.

In the semi-final against Bears there was an early clatter of wickets as they slumped to 14 for four, but there was to be no sort of collapse from Lightning in the final as they made a cracking start.

Ashwell Prince could have been caught off the third ball of the match, but his flashing cut off Rory Kleinvledt went straight through the hands of Graeme White at point and the ball raced to the boundary.

Prince and Alex Davies were in positive mood from the off, taking every single and two on offer, and also hitting their fair share of boundaries.

Davies in particular took a liking to the Northants attack, hitting a series of fours and one glorious straight six off the bowling of White as Lancashire eased to 67 without loss after just seven overs.

The Steelbacks desperately needed a breakthrough it came in the ninth over, and Cobb was the man to provide it as he snared the wicket of danger man Davies.

The Lancashire man skipped down the track, but missed a spinning ball and was bowled to leave Lancashire 77 for one.

It was a big moment, and Steelbacks were celebrating again in the next over as Karl Brown was dismissed by Afridi for a duck. He was caught behind down the legside by Duckett, who stumped the player as well just to make sure.

That dismissal brought Jos Buttler to the wicket, and he made his intentions clear as he reverse swept Cobb for four off his fourth ball, and he then hammered White, who was having a bad night, for two big straight sixes in the same over as Lightning moved ominously on to 111 for two with seven overs remaining.

Olly Stone’s next over went for 12 and Wakely turned to Willey to break what was looking a dangerous partnership, and he did it with the first ball of his spell as Buttler miscued a drive off a slower ball, and Cobb took a good catch coming in off the cover boundary to leave Lightning 123 for three.

Buttler scored 27 from just 15 balls.

Three balls later Lancashire were 125 for four, with Willey again doing the business as Prince sliced a short-pitched ball straight to Levi at gully to go for 43 off 45 balls.

Suddenly the Steelbacks were in business - and after Afridi’s fourth and final over they were close to being on top.

The Pakistan ace had the dangerous Aussie James Faulkner caught at extra cover off his first ball, and then with his next delivery a googly did for Liam Livingston who was bowled through the gate.

Lancashire, having been 123 for two, were now 130 for six having lost four wickets for seven runs in eight balls, and their main big-hitters were all back in the dugout.

Further overs from Willey and Muhammad Azharullah kept things tight, with Steve Croft being run out, before the 19th over from Kleinveldt went for 14 to see Lightning past the 150 at 156 for six.

Azharullah was handed the ball for the final over, and he produced a tight effort until the final ball which was dispatched over long-on for six by Arron Lilley who finished 22 not out from 17 balls.

Lightning had scored 24 from the final two overs to finish on 166 for seven, a challenging total.

Steelbacks began their reply in steady fashion, with Levi again looking in good touch, but he was out from the final ball of the fourth over, smashing Faulkner straight to Alex Davies at mid-off.

Levi was out for 16 from 12 balls and Northants were 32 for one.

Willey, who had earlier clubbed Faulkner over square-leg for six, hit two quick boundaries off George Edwards, but then perished in the deep trying to repeat his six off Faulkner and was caught by Lilley.

That wicket fell in the last over of the powerplay, from which Northants finished on 48 for two.

Lancashire brought on their spinners to slow things down, and they did successfully as the County added just 15 runs in the next three overs.

Ben Duckett decided it was time to get a shift on and played some good shots, before he was harshly adjudged lbw to Steven Parry for 20 from 16 balls. The ball looked like it was slipping down legside.

That left the Steelbacks 76 for three, and in the 12th over they were 82 for four, Steven Crook caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

That dismissal brought Afridi in, and he was very nearly out first ball, but got away with a miss-hit shot that went high into the air but the ball landed safe.

Afridi spent a few balls getting his eye in before launching a massive six over deep mid-wicket off Croft, and in the next over Cobb got in on the act.

The former Leicestershire man had been in for 21 balls without hitting a four as he played an anchor role, but he did get a four off the bowling of the first over of the 15th over bowled by Edwards, and he added a six a couple of balls later for good measure.

With five overs remaining, the Steelbacks were 118 for four, and were bang in the game, needing 49 to win.

Faulkner bowled the 16th over and off the fourth ball he suffered a broken finger dropping a difficult caught and bowled off Afridi, who then added insult to injury by top edging the Aussie’s next delivery over the wicket-keeper for four.

The Steelbacks went into the final four overs needing 41 to win, but they were again struggling to hit boundaries, and although Cobb managed a four off Lilley, they needed more as they ended the 17th 131 for four, still needing 36.

Northants were given a let off when Davies dropped a steepling effort off Cobb, but the next ball saw Afridi caught in the deep by Livingston off the bowling of Griffiths for 26 off 18 balls.

That was a huge blow to Steelbacks’ hopes, who went into the final two overs needing 29.

Faulkner, with his damaged finger strapped up, returned for the penultimate over and conceded just eight, meaning Northants needed 21 from the final six balls to be bowled by youngster Gavin Griffiths - a tall order.

The first two balls only went for singles, the third saw Kleinveldt caught at mid-off by Croft and that was almost that.

Cobb could only manage a single off the fourth delivery, the fifth was a dot ball and the although the final ball went for four, it didn’t matter as Lancashire celebrated their first T20 success in their sixth visit to finals day.

Scores

Lancashire Lightning 166-7 (Davies 47, Prince 43, Afridi 3-14, Willey 2-21) beat Northants Steelbacks 153-6 (Cobb 44no, Afridi 26, Griffiths 2-23, Faulkner 2-25)by 13 runs

Skipper Alex Wakely stressed his pride in his Northants Steelbacks team after they suffered a gut-wrenching NatWest T20 Blast defeat to Lancashire Lightning.

The Steelbacks were beaten by 13 runs under the floodlights at Edgbaston, having earlier beaten holders Birmingham Bears in the semi-finals.

David Ripley’s men battled bravely in both games, with the loss to Lightning going down to the final over.

They couldn’t get over the line as the men from Old Trafford took the T20 silverware for the first time in their history.

But Wakely said: “I’m really proud of my team.

“We’ve come through some tough times with limited resources and a small squad.

“We seem to be punching above our weight, as people keep saying, because we stick together, know our game plans and we’re good friends off the pitch. That does help.”

As disappointed as he was to lose, the classy captain admitted his side had been beaten by the better outfit in the final.

He said: “When you get to a final at whatever level and lose it’s disappointing.

“To have it snatched away from you at the end is really frustrating.

“We played some really good cricket throughout this competition. We were entertaining but we came up short and that’s hard to take.

“We’re actually playing some really good cricket at the moment in all competitions.

“We’ve got some good, young players coming through and it would have been nice to lift that trophy, but Lancashire were the better team.

“We clawed it back after a tough start, but they were the better team in the final.”

Two Moulton College Further Education students have been rewarded for their dedication and hard work ,

Oliver Hall studying Arboriculture and Stewart Firth studying Countryside Management were the proud recipients of a special award from the Royal Forestry Society to recognise their progress on their courses.

In a ceremony at Lamport Hall, Oliver and Stewart both received a Gomtaro Silky Handsaw and a year’s membership to the RFS as a reward for their stand-out round expertise in practical tree and woodland care.

Two youth football teams are celebrating their sposorship deals with fast food restaurant McDonald’s

Thorplands Club 81 and Vicarage Farm Youth FC have been given a helping hand by local McDonald’s franchisee Perry Akhtar who has donated brand new football kit and equipment to the clubs’ under 11 and under 13 teams.

To mark the occasion the teams visited the restaurant on Riverside Retail Park for Perry to personally hand over their kits to the team.

Perry, who owns six restaurants in Northamptonshire including Riverside Retail Park and Wellingborough, has stepped in to support them as part of the McDonald’s Community Football Programme.

Community Partner with the FA for over 12 years, McDonald’s has recently renewed four-year programme which focuses on supporting accredited grassroots clubs and their volunteers to help raise the standards of football across England and improve the experience for young aspiring footballers.

Sponsor Perry said “Both teams have a fantastic ethos and it was a pleasure to meet them and see how the young players are getting on.

He added: “It’s a great to be able to help in a practical way, providing smart kit for their kids to be proud of and to support the dedicated volunteers, who give up many hours of their free time.”

Jamie Mason, who runs Thorplands Club 81 alongside his colleague Jamie Gallagher said: “We are incredibly grateful for Perry’s donation and I’m sure the teams are going to love training in their new kit.

Running a junior football team is no small task and the support we receive from Perry and McDonald’s is vital and ensures we can offer the best possible footballing experience for our playing members.”

Amy Green, under 13s boys team coach at Vicarage Farm Youth FC and also a Floor Manager at Perry’s Wellingborough restaurant, said: “We can’t thank Perry enough for his generous donation which means we can make the most of our resources.”

Two students from the University of Northampton have been chosen to present their work at MK Gallery Project Space in Milton Keynes this September.

The exhibition is part of Platform a regional project created to support new graduate artistic talent across the south east of England.

With only four places available the two graduates’ work will showcase the fruits of their creative work learned whilst at University in Northampton.

Inclusion in MK Gallery’s Platform 2015 presentation means that the students may also be considered for the associated Platform prize which come with a cash grant and a bespoke twelve-month programme of professional development.

The artists Emma Richardson, BA Painting and Drawing, and Isobel Owen, BA Fine Art will be showing their work at MK Gallery Project Space next month. Admission is free and the public are welcome.

A goal in each half was enough to secure Brackley Town’s second victory in Vanarama National League North as they beat Worcester City 2-0 at St James Park.

Steve Diggin’s superbly executed goal in the 26th minute gave Saints a lead that they carried into the break in an even and well contested first half. Dispossessing Kieran Morris, Diggin advanced on goal before curling his shot from 20 yards beyond keeper Nathan Vaughan to notch a top quality finish on successive Saturdays.

Daniel Nti went close for the visitors shooting from range and left-back Tyler Weir fired a dipping effort over as both sides struggled to threaten the keepers.

The second half was again tight and hard fought before Saints doubled their advantage in the 64th minute when Pablo Mills headed in Glenn Walker’s deep corner that evaded Vaughan.

Diggin enjoyed further opportunities twice bringing saves from Vaughan while City never gave up but lacked a cutting edge up front. Weir’s surging run and a late effort from Sean Geddes that was beaten away by Dan Crane were the closest that the Blues came to reducing the deficit in a deserved home win.

Saints boss Jon Brady said: “We were strong and positive today. David Moyo added brightness and pace to our game and Steve Diggin had chances as the game opened up. I am really pleased to have Steve back here, we saw again today his class and work-rate and another excellent goal.

“We haven’t been aggressive enough in our defending until today but Pablo Mills coming in showed leadership and organisation. Dawyne Samuels was aggressive and did an excellent job with their danger-man [Daniel] Nti on the right until he swapped over.

“We made the pitch nice and compact and did what we had worked on in training through the week.

“Sam Whittall played his second game of the season and did what we know he can do. He gets us playing and has real composure.

“We face another tough game on Monday at Telford in front of a big Bank Holiday crowd and a first home game for the new manager. We need to take the momentum from today into that game.”

It may have ultimately ended in defeat, but Northants Steelbacks can hold their heads high after their performance at the NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day.

David Ripley’s team travelled to Edgbaston as the outsiders of the four counties involved, but ended up being just one good over with bat or ball away from winning the whole thing.

As it was, they came up just short as they lost the final to Lancashire by 13 runs, but they and the small army of supporters that went to Birmingham showed just how relevant Northants is as a club, and proved that there is room in English cricket for the ‘smaller counties’.

Much has been said and written in recent times about Northants’ financial worries and about the setting up of a franchise T20 competition, with some ‘in the game’ even questioning the very existence of counties such as Northants, Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Gloucestershire.

Well, nobody at Edgbaston on Saturday can argue with the fact that the Steelbacks looked right at home on the big stage that is the Birmingham Test ground.

On the pitch, their players were too good for the reigning champions, favourites and hosts Birmingham Bears in the semi-final, and then pushed Lancashire Lightning to the last over in the final.

Off the pitch, the Northants fans were a credit to their club, and there were a lot of them at Edgbaston.

Yes, there was the 800-strong block of allocated seating, but Steelbacks fans were also dotted all around the stadium, and were in good voice throughout. I would say there was 2,000 County fans there, maybe more, and try telling any of those people that Northants as a club doesn’t matter.

No, Northants is not the biggest, or the most fashionable club, but it is a good club, with good support and a home in the shape of the County Ground to be very, very proud of. It might not be a Test ground, but it is a great cricketing arena all the same.

It would have been fantastic if Alex Wakely and his team could have won the Twenty20 title for the second time in three years and really made a statement for ‘the underdog’.

But just by getting to the final they have made the whole country and the entire cricketing community aware that Northamptonshire CCC is alive, kicking, and very much a club with a future.

On finals day, the Steelbacks were up against the big-boys, and they produced a great performance to see off the Bears in the first semi-final.

That was set up by a stunning spell of pace bowling from David Willey that left the home side reeling on 14 for four, a situation they never really recovered from as Northants won by five wickets with two overs to spare, with Richard Levi’s chanceless 63 not out steering them home.

In the final, Lightning’s innings was set up by the best innings of the day in Alex Davies’ 47 from 26 balls, the youngster timing the ball sweetly where nearly all others had struggled on a pitch that wasn’t ideal for T20 cricket.

The ball stuck in the pitch slightly from the pace men, and was also offering spin, which led to the bowlers dominating both semi-finals.

That makes Lancashire’s opening stand of 77 in just nine overs from Davies and Ashwell Prince even more impressive, and it was a stand that laid the foundations for Lightning’s 166 for seven, despite the County fighting back well in the middle of the innings.

Ripley’s team will be rueing the fact they conceded 24 runs in the final two overs after pegging Lightning back mainly thanks to great spells from Shahid Afridi and Willey, but they would have settled for chasing 167 to win when Lightning were 123 for two after 14 overs.

With the bat, the Steelbacks were always slightly behind the rate in reply.

With Josh Cobb anchoring one end, Willey, Duckett and Afridi all threatened to play the big innings that would swing the match back in the Steelbacks’ favour, but they couldn’t quite manage it against a Lancashire side that bowled with consistency and accuracy.

Aggressive Aussie James Faulkner may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but he is some player, and he showed his true character by playing on after suffering what looked a nasty broken finger dropping a sharp caught and bowled chance off Afridi.

Faulkner ended up claiming two for 25 with his left-arm pace, including the crucial wickets of Levi and Willey, while the Lightning spin trio of Steven Croft, Stephen Parry and Arron Lilley conceded just 67 runs in the 10 overs they bowled between them, taking a couple of wickets into the bargain.

That meant the Steelbacks effectively had to find 75 runs from the six overs bowled by George Edwards and rookie Gavin Griffiths, who had only made his T20 debut in Lightning’s semi-final win over Hampshire, and that proved too big an ask.

So Northants lost, and were left hugely disappointed, but they were far from disgraced, and will already be planning how they can crash the party again next year.

Steelbacks player ratings

Richard Levi - brilliantly paced his match-winning innings of 63 not out in the semi-final, and was looking good in the final too. Will be frustrated at his dismissal as he timed the shot beautifully, just hit it straight to the fielder at mid-off! - 8

David Willey - didn’t get the winning send-off he desperately wanted as he ends his Northants one-day career, but still showed exactly why he is one of the hottest properties in English cricket. Stunning bowling spell in the semi set up the win, while in the final he checked Lightning’s charge with quick wickets. Didn’t quite come off with the bat, although hit one brilliant six of the fiery James Faulkner - 8

Josh Cobb - a quiet semi-final, but one of the key men with bat and ball in the final. Made the crucial bowling breakthrough with his spin as he dismissed the impressive Alex Davies, and then anchored the innings with the bat. Struggled to hit boundaries, but without 44 not out, the County wouldn’t have got as close as they did - 7

Ben Duckett - tidy performance in both games behind the stumps. Failed with the bat in the semi, but was just starting to cut loose in the final when his innings was ended by a borderline lbw decision. Looked at home on the big stage - 6

Alex Wakely - captained the team well in the field in both matches, although he may regret exposing Graeme White to Jos Buttler in the final. Batting wise, he was out first ball in the semi, and only faced two balls at the death in the final - 5

Steven Crook - clearly not 100 per cent fit following his ankle injury as he didn’t bowl in either match. He was used as a batter only, and unfortunately Crook came up short in both games, perishing going for the big hit - 5

Shahid Afridi - played hours after getting off the plane from Pakistan, and justified his inclusion. After a steady semi-final, his bowling in the final, where he claimed three for 14 from three overs, got the Steelbacks back into the game. Another couple of big hits with the bat might have won the match. But it wasn’t to be - 8

Rory Kleinveldt - fantastic bowling in the semi-final when he took two for 16 from his four overs, but couldn’t replicate that in the final, going for 29 off three. Might have been different if Graeme White had claimed a difficult chance offered by Ashwell Prince off his third ball of the innings - 7

Graeme White - not the greatest day for the left-arm spinner. Was tidy enough with the ball in the win over the Bears, conceding 12 from two overs, but went for 31 from 12 balls in the final, and also missed that early Prince chance in the field - 5

Olly Stone - showed good pace and troubled the batsmen at times in both matches, but ended up wicketless on the day. Went for 10-an-over in the final - 5

Muhammad Azharullah - a quiet day for the pace bowler by his T20 standards. Struggled a little in the semi-final, but was doing an excellent ‘death bowling’ job in the final until a six crunched off him off the final ball of the innings tarnished his efforts, and his figures - 5

David Willey was left a disappointed man after his dream of signing off his Steelbacks career with a Twenty20 title success was scuppered by Lancashire Lightning on Saturday.

Northants reached the final of the NatWest T20 Blast thanks to an excellent semi-final win over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston, but they came up short in the final as they went down by 13 runs to their Old Trafford rivals.

The match was Willey’s last limited overs game for his home county before he leaves for Yorkshire.

It could even be his final appearance for the club as he now reports for England duty, and the 25-year-old couldn’t hide his frustration after the game.

“It’s probably a game we could have won but none of us got going with the bat,” said Willey, who hit 24 as Northants replied to Lancashire’s 166 for seven with 153 for six.

“We didn’t bowl great up front and they got a good start, but with the exception of Josh Cobb we didn’t get past 30.

“To win would have been a dream finish for me, and it’s sort of how I pictured it in my head.

“As has been well documented, we’re a small club and we’ve overachieved, so credit to the lads and back room staff.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t get across the line.”

Cobb was the Steelbacks’ top scorer in the final with 44 not out from 37 balls, and said: “It’s a massive disappointment.

“We were underdogs to a lot of people, but we were backing ourselves to go out and win it.

“We can be proud to get to the final, but it is a shame not to get over the line.

“I struggled to get going with the bat, while I was there I was always backing myself, but I probably needed someone to play a good cameo at the other end.”

Willey now leaves Northants for pastures new, and although Cobb accpets that is a blow, he feels the Steelbacks can come back stronger next season.

“Unfortunately, we lose Willo who’s exceptional for or T20 side,” said Cobb.

“But there’s a lot of talent in our squad who can step up and maybe we can come back next year.”

Peter Ormerod reviews the second day of the Greenbelt Festival at Boughton House, Kettering. See his review of day one.

In another day in which the weather and the venue harmonised majestically, Greenbelt offered up an extraordinary range of talks, performances and music, from deep inner contemplation to extravagant multicolour euphoria.

My day began with Welcoming the Morning, run by the Corrymeela Community, Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organisation. Despite the name, it dwelt less on light and more on darkness. Sound gloomy? Not a bit of it: its message, that darkness in its various forms is not necessarily something to fear but something to embrace, has been a thread throughout this year’s festival. For a culture - not to mention a church - that is ever desperate to put forward its best face, it’s message that’s essential to express and to hear. A rewriting of the opening of Genesis, celebrating night instead of day, was especially moving. It might sound earnest, but it was all done most deftly.

Next was Giles Fraser, one of Britain’s better-known priests; he is a frequent contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day and Moral Maze, has a regular Guardian column and pops up on TV discussion shows regularly. He can be a somewhat antagonistic presence, and if the priest thing doesn’t work out for him then the job of nightclub bouncer would be his for the taking, but he is always worth hearing, and gave a valuable lesson the large crowd: that total self-reliance is a myth, and helplessness is a gift. It’s only through vulnerability that we can truly be strong.

The afternoon brought delights strange even by Greenbelt’s standards. The Tibetan Monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery shared with a packed Playhouse a number of their spiritual practices. Even in age when sights from around the world are readily available at the click of a mouse, seeing these rituals enacted before you makes for a mesmeric spectacle. I use the word ‘strange’ advisedly: this was undeniably different and alien, yet with wholly relatable ideas of compassion at its core. Monks dressed as a stag and bull danced to the jangle of small cymbal-like instruments, a drum whose beat varied from languid to intense and a pair of low, droning Tibetan didgeridoos. Later, to monks dressed as skeletons performed a similar rite, shivering and lurching; there was also a staged debate, marked less by raised voices than by gestures designed to slap down evil; in another ritual, monks blew through human leg bones, the eerie result intended to alert evil spirits to their presence. It wasn’t your usual Saturday afternoon, to be sure, but it was compelling, enriching and highly informative stuff, a glimpse into a world rarely seen and much persecuted: the monks are forbidden from performing these acts in some of their holiest cities. And at the core of it was a love for all living beings, the need for which we should never tire of hearing.

As afternoon became evening, acclaimed aerial theatre company Ockham’s Razor performed a work called The Mill in one of the site’s outdoor venues. It involved a large wheel suspended in the middle of a huge frame, along with ropes, pulleys and five performers. It was evidently intended to represent a particularly loathsome workplace, the ‘employees’ pulling ropes and turning the wheel to little evident effect, before realising that they could have some fun with the apparatus. Cue many impressive feats of strength, balance and agility. Perhaps owing to a lack of voice amplification, it wasn’t always entirely clear what was going on or quite what the story might be, but it all looked impressive enough to keep most of the large crowd enthralled.

A welcome burst of vibrancy was soon to be found from the main stage, where eight-piece dub, ska, hip hop and funk collective King Porter Stomp had the crowd bouncing and energised by an uplifting blend of upbeat music and inspiring politics. Their repeated exhortations to “bless up yo’self” may well become the festival’s tagline.

But music doesn’t have to be overtly political to be powerful. The Polyphonic Spree - the white-clad Texan ensemble that looks and sounds like its members number into the thousands but which on closer inspection have a mere dozen or so members - were like a sherbert fountain of happiness. Their enthusiasm comes across as entirely authentic, perhaps helped by some surprisingly dark lyrics that suggest their hope is informed by a fully rounded experience of life. Their world is not for the cynical, and some observers may need to shed their reason or reserve to enter fully into it, but the rewards are rich and many: you’ll probably smile harder than you ever have before. And in its own way, their music and their performance of it is deeply political: there’s an infectious and playful hope, and an uplifting appeal to unity. It’s no sugar rush: this stuff can last if taken frequently.

* Greenbelt continues until late on Monday, so there’s still time to sample its many joys. See www.greenbelt.org.uk for more.

Following this hard-fought draw at Accrington Stanley, the Cobblers have now racked up seven points from their opening five games of the season, a somewhat underwhelming total especially after such a promising start.

Two wins were followed by two defeats and Saturday’s result was Northampton’s first draw of the campaign, and it was probably a fair reflection of an entertaining and lively encounter.

The Cobblers were second best for much of the first half and were fortunate not to be two or three behind by the time Marc Richards had given them a half-time lead with a brilliant improvised finish from an acute angle.

However, Northampton were unable to capitalise on their advantage in the second half as Lawson D’Ath brought down Josh Windass, son of Dean, for a soft penalty which the Accrington midfielder clinically converted.

Many would then have expected Stanley to push on and get the winner given their superiority up to that point, but instead it was Northampton who upped their game, aided by several positive substitutions, and looked the likelier to take all three points.

It wasn’t to be, though, as Accrington keeper Jason Mooney pulled off a number of fine saves from Richards, Nicky Adams and Sam Hoskins, to preserve a point for his side.

Arguably the biggest positive to come out of the game for Northampton was the performance of Rod McDonald. The 23-year-old centre-back, who signed for the Cobblers last month having previously played for Nantwich Town, Hereford United and AFC Telford United, looked shaky and overawed in his brief Northampton career prior to Saturday.

Against Accrington, though, McDonald was much more assured. He read the game well and made several vital interceptions, he used his pace – a valuable asset for any centre-back – to good effect and also looked relatively comfortable on the ball, aside from a couple of panicky clearances.

It is, of course, too quick to make a complete judgement but the signs from Saturday suggest McDonald can provide adequate centre-back cover for Zander Diamond and Ryan Cresswell moving forward.

Though many will see the result as two points dropped rather than one gained, the draw does at least stop the rot for Northampton, who came into the game on the back of three straight defeats, as they now turn their attention to Tuesday evening when Colchester United are in town for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

How they rated...

Adam Smith - Made several comfortable saves from long-range efforts but could do nothing about the penalty. Also set up Northampton’s goal with a long kick forward... 7

Adam Yates - Most of Accrington’s threat came down the other side so didn’t have too much to do but dealt with what danger there was... 6.5

Rod McDonald - His best game in a Northampton shirt. Read the game well and made a couple of crucial interventions to top Stanley from getting through on goal. He’s also quicker than both Cresswell and Diamond which was evident on Saturday and will be an asset moving forward... 7.5 CHRON STAR MAN

Ryan Cresswell - Strong in the air and could have scored late on but for Mooney... 6.5

David Buchanan - Had his hands full with the tricky Piero Mingoia. Struggled to cope with the threat early on but improved as the game wore on... 6

Joel Byrom - Got caught out of position once or twice and left the defence exposed, particularly on the break. Decent on the ball though... 6

Jason Taylor - Broke the play up effectively but, like Byrom, didn’t offer the defence enough protection with Stanley often finding plenty of space… 6

Alfie Potter - Worked hard but didn’t have much of an impact in the final third... 6

Nicky Adams - Saw a lot of the ball but didn’t quite happen for him. Twice came close late on but was thwarted by the excellent Mooney... 6.5

Lawson D’Ath - Gave away the penalty with a needless, albeit soft, foul and otherwise had little impact before being taken off… 5.5

Marc Richards - Frustrated by the lack of service in the first half but took his goal brilliantly. Could have had a second but for a decent save from Mooney... 7

Substitutes

Sam Hoskins - Breathed new life into the Cobblers when he came on. Could have bagged a late winner if not for the defiant home keeper... 7

Chris Hackett - 6

Ryan Watson - 6

Northampton captain Marc Richards admits the Cobblers “must get better” if they are to have any chance of promotion this season following a “bang average” start to the campaign.

After Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley, Northampton have two wins, two defeats and one draw from their five opening games to leave them sitting 11th in Sky Bet League Two on seven points.

“It’s a bang average start,” said Richards. “If we want to get out of this league we must get better.

“We started well with two good results but we should have done better against Plymouth and if we’re going to do anything this year we should be coming to places like Accrington and taking three points.

“That’s no disrespect to Accrington, who have some quality players, but we’ve got to get a result.

“We’ve got to keep the togetherness we have here. We’ve a great team spirit in the dressing room.

“We’ve shown we can keep clean sheets and score goals but now we’ve got to go back to basics and put in a lot of work on the training ground.

“The gaffer’s got a few ideas and we have a couple games coming up this week. We have to stay positive and keep plodding on and creating chances.”

It was Richards who broke the deadlock on Saturday when his delicate dinked effort from a tight angle looped over Jason Mooney in the home goal and nestled into the net.

“It sort of came out of nothing really,” he added. “It was a long hopeful ball forward and I managed to get my body in between the ball and the defender and I had it in my head that the keeper wouldn’t expect me to shoot.

“I’ve scored one similar to that in my career and thankfully it had enough on it to get over the keeper and see it nestle in the far corner.

“I knew it had a chance when I hit it. He’s a big keeper and I was obviously delighted to see it go in.

“The main aim this season is to get promoted. If I don’t score again this season and we get promoted then it’ll be a successful season.”

Up until Richards’ goal, the Cobblers were second best with Accrington spurning a string of decent chances in the first half.

It was more of the same after the break and Stanley finally capitalised on their good play through Josh Windass’ penalty, however if any team looked like taking all three points thereafter, it was Northampton who were repeatedly thwarted by a number of fine saves from Mooney.

Richards added: “I think the last 20 minutes we did deserved to win it but previous to that we were well off it. We didn’t control the game at all and they were the better team and had more chances.

“We opened them up and created chances in the last 20 minutes or so and I think we can take some positives from that, but we’ve got to do it in more of the game and not just at the end.”

Next up for the Cobblers is a return to Sixfields when they host Colchester United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Tuesday evening, and Richards is keen to feature.

“I’m always chomping at the bit to play as many games as possible,” he continued. “It’s ultimately up to the gaffer and what he wants to do.

“If he wants me to play I’ll certainly be ready and I’ll prepare as well as I can and how I’d normally prepare.

“If the gaffer wants to rest a few players then he’s got the opportunity to do so but it’s a good game to play in and a chance for us to build some confidence and go and win a game.

“Winning games breeds confidence so if we can win on Tuesday then we’ll be able to take that into Saturday.”

Peter Ormerod reviews the third day of the Greenbelt Festival at Boughton House, Kettering

Yes, people were happy. Yes, there was clapping. Yes, to some, there would therefore have been parts of Sunday morning’s huge communion service that might just count as ‘happy clappy’. Yes, all right. Go on then. I’ll give you that one.

But wait: it was great. Like so much of this festival - in fact, like any decent church service - it was unafraid to explore human difficulties, and while it endeavoured to embrace pretty much the full diversity of faith and church traditions that are drawn to Greenbelt, the result wasn’t as messy or as beige as it might have been. Led by the Rt Rev Libby Lane, who recently became the first female bishop in the Church of England, along with Bishop Pushpa Lalitha from India and members of monastic communities in Britain, it seemed to do a good job of including all and alienating few or none, while maintaining a richness of meaning, the emphasis being on caring for our world. There was an earthiness that averted airiness and some refreshing rearrangements of well-known hymns and songs. It was less trendy vicar with acoustic guitar, and more innovative jazz stylings with appealing glockenspiel and piccolo adornments. Warm and lovely, yes, but still powerful.

Then a first for the weekend: proper rain. One of the particular pleasures of this site is the ubiquitous carpet of grass, which lies in contrast to the concrete and asphalt on which chunks of the festival sat in its Cheltenham incarnation. But while the verdant lawns make Greenbelt greener than ever, the rain has a habit of turning them brown. Some planned outdoor activities and performances were sadly washed out, with rivulets forming outside many of the marquees.

Not that pesky water would be allowed to intrude upon people’s enjoyment or involvement too much. A session of Quaker worship in the aptly named Shelter venue was packed; being new to the practice myself, I found it helpful and gently moving experience. Any onlookers would have just seen a tent full of people sitting and saying nothing and doing nothing, but there was plenty going on; it’s just that it was happening in people’s hearts and minds and souls (if you believe in such a thing). A few spoke when they felt moved to; all listened attentively and sympathetically, the ending of the session signalled by handshakes. Even with radio station’s tent blaring out across the path, the sense of peace was palpable.

With the weather remaining unwelcoming, the Shelter seemed the place to stay, and I’m glad I did. The next session was about the Bogside Artists, a group of world-renowned mural painters whose huge and profound works can be found adorning the sides of buildings in Derry’s Bogside. They deal unflinchingly and insightfully with the Troubles: an army officer battering down a door, a child standing defiant in the face of an armoured vehicle, and so on. But what’s striking is the sense of hope: in one of the most powerful images, a girl stands next to paintings of female prisoners, while pointing towards another mural, symbolising peace. It’s gutsy, startling and endlessly thought-provoking stuff, the artists themselves having few airs about them, despite their global renown; they are proudly from the community they represent through their art. While the Northern Irish art establishment apparently shuns them, believing such memories should be left in the dead past, the Bogside Artists - three middle-aged men scarred by conflict - are far more wise, convinced that the only way to an authentic hope is by a full and searching exploration of the past.

Time for reflection. The Northumbria Community describes itself as “a diverse, worldwide, Christian Community, committed to a new way for living,” drawing on the traditions of Celtic Christianity - the oldest form of the faith in these islands. Their evening worship may have been infused with chant and song and poetry, but was far from drippy or cloying; there was a mellifluousness to proceedings, a sense of profundity and a slow but resonant pulse. Their way is an antidote to the busyness of life, but not in a manner that’s cloistered or remote; rather, it’s open and engaged.

And as with any good festival, what goes on beyond and between the acts and events is just as important as the scheduled programme. So the evening was spent in the Jesus Arms (yes, you may wince at the name, but Greenbelt is quite knowing about things like that; there’s also a wine bar called the Blue Nun), with great cider and even better friends. After all, a festival celebrating togetherness would be pointless if enjoyed in solitude, right?

* See www.greenbelt.org.uk for more

Fixture: Northampton Town v Colchester United, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first round

Date/time: Tuesday, September 1, 7.45pm kick-off

Venue: Sixfields

Forecast: 15C, cloudy

Outs and doubts: Cobblers: Ricky Holmes (back), Zander Diamond (dead leg), Brendan Moloney (knee), Evan Horwood (groin). Colchester: Chris Porter (ankle), Darren Ambrose (foot)

Betting: Northampton 6/5, draw 12/5, Colchester 11/5

Form guide: Cobblers DLLLWW, United DLDLLD

Possible line-ups: Cobblers (4-2-3-1): Clarke; Lelan, Cresswell, McDonald, Buchanan; Byrom, Watson; Hackett, Hoskins, D’Ath; Calvert-Lewin. 
Colchester (4-4-2): Parish; Brindley, Wynter, Eastman, Vincent-Young; Harriott, Edwards, Garvan, Moncur; Bonne, Healy.

Man in the middle: Darren Deadman

Last time out: Accrington 1 (Windass) Northampton 1 (Richards); Colchester 2 (Moncur, Elokobi) Scunthorpe 2 (Van Veen, Madden)

Most recent meeting: October 9, 2012 - Northampton 2 (Akinfenwa, Mukendi) Colchester 1 (Sears)

Cobblers connection: Current England U20s manager Aidy Boothroyd has had spells in charge at both of these clubs. In September 2009, the former Watford boss took over at Colchester following the departure of Paul Lambert and initially things began well with United pushing for promotion for most of the 2009/10 season. A poor finish to the campaign followed, however, and Boothroyd left the club in May 2010 to take over at Coventry City.

After a miserable 10 months at the Sky Blues, Boothroyd was sacked by the club and then appointed Northampton manager, where he oversaw two very contrasting seasons, taking the Cobblers to the play-off final in 2012/13 before getting the boot barely six months later with Town bottom of League Two.

Preview: If Northampton fans feel underwhelmed by their side’s start to the season, who knows what Colchester supporters must be thinking. Six games in and United are yet to register a win with three draws and three defeats and just five goals scored.

The U’s needed a dramatic final day win over Preston North End to escape relegation by the narrowest of margins last season, and the early indications suggest they may be in for a similar battle this time around with tonight’s game a chance to kick-start their season.

These two sides have met 73 teams in total but it’s been three years since their last meeting, which also came in the JPT, when goals from Adebayo Akinfenwa and Henoc Mukendi saw the Cobblers through to the third round with a 2-1 victory.

Both Chris Wilder and Tony Humes will undoubtedly shake things up this evening, though they are restricted to the amount of changes they can make due to the competition’s rules.

The rules state that teams must play at least six players who either started the previous match, will start the upcoming league match or are in the top six appearance makers of the season so far. Got it?

For Northampton, Ryan Clarke is expected to return to goal, Josh Lelan may replace Adam Yates at right-back but Zander Diamond is likely to sit out as he recovers from a dead leg sustained in the defeat to Plymouth last week.

Chris Hackett, Sam Hoskins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin could also all come in, and there may even be a recall for former Colchester man John-Joe O’Toole, who has played just 30 minutes of football since starting and scoring in the opening day win over Bristol Rovers.

Prediction: Cobblers 2 Colchester 1

Cobblers boss Chris Wilder has once again reiterated his frustration with the early season pile up of fixtures, claiming it plays into the hands of the bigger clubs in League Two, ahead of tonight’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash against Colchester United.

Wilder branded the relentless run of fixtures as “absolutely ridiculous” with Northampton currently in the middle of nine games in 28 days.

The schedule eases up somewhat after this weekend’s home clash against Dagenham & Redbridge, with three games in the following 20 days.

Wilder said: “I think everyone knows how honest I am with my assessment of my team and my views.

“The amount of games we’re playing in this first month is absolutely ridiculous, and then we go into September when we have three free midweek slots – it’s just ridiculous.

“It plays into the hands of the bigger clubs in the division with the amount of players they have.

“I just don’t understand nine games in 27 days at the start of the season. There’s no midweek games next month, but we have to get on with it.

“It’s a tough schedule but we’ve got to find a way to get through it and get a result.”

The schedule has been particularly tough on the Cobblers, who have had trips to Accrington Stanley and Newcastle United in the space of four days, though Wilder was quick to praise the Northampton fans.

He added: “I’m not moaning about the travelling to Newcastle because it was a great experience for us and for the players to play up against top class players and it was a great experience for the fans as well.

“The supporters were absolutely outstanding against Newcastle and yet again on Saturday.

“For them to go up to Newcastle on Tuesday and then to Accrington on Saturday is an absolute first class effort from those guys.”

Wilder also confirmed he would make changes for tonight’s game against League One side Colchester despite being restricted by the competition’s rules.

“We’re required to play six players from our starting 11 from Saturday’s game or our next game so we can’t make big changes but we want to do well and we want to progress,” he continued.

“We will make changes because obviously the workload that the players have had and the travelling we’ve had to do.”

Riders taking part in this year’s Cycle 4 Cynthia event are being encouraged to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen becoming the longest-reigning monarch in British history by wearing regal clothing or flying the flag.

The annual fund-raising bike rides takes place at Althorp on Sunday September 13 - just four days after the historic event. And they are calling on people to set a right Royal fund-raising record for Cynthia Spencer Hospice/

Hospice fundraising manager John Helm said: “It’s a great way to celebrate the ride’s strong connections to the monarchy. The hospice is named after one of the late Queen Mother’s ladies-in-waiting and indeed the then Queen opened the facility in 1976.

“Our Patron and generous host for the ride, the Earl Spencer, is of course the uncle and great-uncle of two future kings, while just two years ago Prince Harry sent a letter of support to those taking part, so it seems quite appropriate to say well done to Her Majesty in this way!

“But of course we don’t want to stop any republicans from pedalling! This wonderful event is for all riders of any age and ability and we’re encouraging everyone to join us in the hope that we can top the record number of 1300 riders which took part last year,” he added.

Among those leaping into their saddles are Saints coaches Jim Mallinder and Alex King and players Dylan Hartley and Sam Dickinson, while a 40-strong contingent from The Melbourne Arms at Duston is among the teams hoping to beat the impressive total of almost £64,000 raised in 2014.

Cycle 4 Cynthia, offering riders routes of 5, 25 and 50 miles, is at Althorp on Sunday September 13, starting from 9am. Entry is £20 for adults, £10 for children and £50 for families with all monies raised from entry fees, sponsorship and sales of the limited edition C4C cycle top priced at £25 going to the Hospice.

More details, including downloadable entry and sponsorship forms and online registration, are now available at www.cycle4cynthia.co.uk while you can also follow the latest news on the ride on Facebook or call the Hospice on 01604 678088.

Riders can also register in person at Cynthia Spencer’s Day Hospice on Kettering Road between 10am and noon on Saturday September 12, or turn up on the day.

A drug dealer from Wellingborough has been locked up for two years after he admitted supplying heroin.

Jake Price, aged 20, of Minerva Way, appeared at Northampton Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to four charges of supplying class A drugs with intent and two charges of possessing class A drugs.

The court heard Price was one of 40 people charge with drugs offences as part of Operation Pyramid carried out by Northamptonshire Police at the start of the year.

Price was arrested after he supplied heroin to an undercover police officer on a number of occasions between December 2014 and February this year.

Recorder Oscar Del Fabro sentenced Price to two years in a young offenders institution.

He said: “Drugs like heroin are poison and you were selling that poison on the streets of Northamptonshire.”

A Northampton entrepreneur is bidding to take on the ”subscription snack service” giants if they can raise a further £300,000 through crowd funding.

After successfully raising over £125,000 on crowdfunding site Crowdcube last year, Oliver Pugh is bidding to raise a further £300,000 to expand the firm he founded with friend Jamie Trinder.

The business, Earlybird, offers people a chance to order healthy snacks, lunches and drinks online and have them delivered to their workplace.

Since it was founded last year the firm now has more than 80 different snacks and delivered more than 10,000 “TasteBoxes” to customers so far.

The duo’s initial campaign on Crowdcube helped the company get off the ground and commence production in their factory in Derbyshire.

Mr Pugh said: “As the snack market is constantly growing and evolving, this money will allow us to continue expanding, making us more able to create and deliver new, healthy and exciting snacks to the people who need them.”

The business owners say EarlyBird differs from its competitors, such as the company Graze, because its snack boxes come with added art, music and fashion.

Every month, the interior lid of the TasteBox features a new artist, designer or photographer.

Artists can also submit their work to EarlyBird to get the chance of being featured in one of EarlyBird’s TasteBoxes.

Mr Pugh also graduated with a degree in business and economics from the University of Northampton.

Crowd funding allows people to donate an amount of money to a business or venture to get it going, with a return for their investment.

You can invest in EarlyBird via Crowdcube.com from 8pm on September 3.

Four people were taken to hospital after taking illegal drugs at the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire over the Bank Holiday Weekend, organisers have confirmed.

The festivalgoers were reportedly in intensive care but details of their current condition are not yet known.

Organisers of the festival posted the confirmation of their Facebook page.

“We have never experienced anything like this in the 15 years of Shambala. Your welfare is our top priority so please take extreme care and if you feel unwell let a steward know or visit the medical centre immediately. Shambala has a zero tolerance policy on drugs and a man is now in police custody for possession with intent to supply, having being detained by festival security.

“Due to patient confidentiality we are not in a position to release any details about the people who are in hospital. They are in a critical condition but it is hoped they will make a full recovery. Their next of kin have been notified.”