Ripley delight as Copeland brings County a lift

The County confirmed their Australian paceman would be returning for another three games having made a big impact in his spell at Wantage Road earlier this summer.

The 6’ 5” seam bowler took 36 wickets at an average of 16 during his two-month stay and will now return for three more LV= County Championship games - against Essex at Colchester, Glamorgan at home and Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

Northamptonshire head coach Ripley said: “We’ve been talking to Trent ever since he left and we have always been hoping he would come back.

“He was our preferred choice but as he could only do three games we did explore the market looking to see if there was someone who could do five for us.

“But nobody came close to competing with Trent so we did all we could to get him back.

“It might be seen as a gamble to only get someone for three matches.

“But then it would also have been a gamble to bring in someone we didn’t know as well for five matches.

“Trent was a huge hit here - not just in terms of his performances but in what he brought to the dressing-room as well.

“And it’s a boost at this time as well.

“We’ve just lost back-to-back matches against the best team in this division so it is a lift.

“In terms of the Championship we have got the Gloucestershire game in isolation and then a block of five matches in the run-in.

“To have Trent available for the first three of those will be great and hopefully he can help shape the way the end of season goes for us.

“We’ve also got a couple of very important away games in that period.

“Essex away is always tough and I’ve been waiting for Hampshire to enter the race as well.

“They are now winning games so it will be good to have someone like Trent with us for big games like that.”

Ripley did say there was a chance of getting one more game out of Copeland but thinks it will be unlikely.

He added: “It would have been ideal if we could have got him for four matches.

“That might still happen. We are still talking about it with him and New South Wales.

“But, with the contract he has there, it looks a long shot.”