Northants' Lynn served drugs ban after Blast final

Former Northants Steelbacks batter Chris Lynn has completed a one‑month suspension after a positive test for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine, the Cricket Regulator said. The ban was served from 31 July to 30 August 2026, following the T20 Blast Finals Day on 18 July at Edgbaston. Lynn, 36, had top‑scored with 39 runs in the semi‑final win over Somerset and made four in the final victory over Hampshire.

Lynn admitted using cocaine on the evening of 15 July and in the early hours of 16 July, describing the act as "an out-of-competition violation" and "unrelated to sporting performance", a view supported by an expert appointed by the regulator. He completed a substance‑of‑abuse treatment programme that cut the originally proposed three‑month ban to one month. The former Australia international returned to Northants this year after previously scoring 880 T20 runs across two spells in 2022 and 2023 and having played for Hampshire in the 2025 Blast final.

The regulator confirmed that Northamptonshire will not face any sanction, and noted that the independent body was set up in December 2023 to monitor compliance with cricket regulations.