Ripley considers options as injuries hit Northants pace bowlers

Northants are considering the possibility of signing a pace bowler on loan for the remainder of the LV= Inusurance County Championship season.
Nathan Buck suffered an injury in the Northants second team's defeat at Nottinghamshire earlier this weekNathan Buck suffered an injury in the Northants second team's defeat at Nottinghamshire earlier this week
Nathan Buck suffered an injury in the Northants second team's defeat at Nottinghamshire earlier this week

Head coach David Ripley' s preparations for Sunday's Division Two play-off encounter with Surrey have been hit by a spate of injuries to his battery of seam bowlers.

Nathan Buck picked up an injury in the second team's innings and 19-run defeat at Nottinghamshire last week, a match that fast bowler Brandon Glover missed altogether after suffering a heel injury.

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Gareth Berg is still not fit to return after he suffered an ankle injury in July, although it is hoped he will be back in action for the seconds in their match against Somerset IIs at Desborough Town from Monday.

It means that pace bowling resources at Ripley's disposal have been severeley diminished, with only the four who played in the defeat at Gloucestershire - Ben Sanderson, Jack White, Luke Procter and Tom Taylor - fit and available for selection.

With three matches still to play this season, the head coach knows he is going to need more options, especially if Buck and Glover don't recover quickly.

And as well as saying the club will be looking at a loan signing, Ripley is also considering recalling youngster James Sales from England Under-19s duty.

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Sales was this week named in the England squad to take on West Indies in a six-match one day series, which starts in Beckenham on Saturday.

"Nathan Buck pulled up in the second team game, and Brandon Glover was pulled out of that game with a heel injury," revealed Ripley, talking to BBC Northampton.

"We hope Gareth Berg will be in the second team this week, so we are kind of three down, but we do have James Sales to think about.

"He has gone off with England Under-19s, but I think a first-class debut would also be quite appealing for James.

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"We will look at that, we will work out the bodies we have after the Gloucestershire game.

"We had the four seamers there, but I think we are a bit thin on the bench.

"Batting wise we are okay, so I don't see a lot of change with the bat, but with the ball we are just a bit short of options.

"We will have to see how the lads front up, and I will monitor James' situation.

"Actually, we might have to monitor the loan market as well, and see if there is somebody there who can help out.

"Especially if we don't get good news about Buck and Glover over the next day or so."