Northamptonshire lose Ravi Bopara and Raphy Weatherall for season

Northamptonshire's hopes of a strong finish to the County Championship season have been dealt a blow with the news that Ravi Bopara and Raphy Weatherall will miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Bopara, who has been a key figure for Northants in recent seasons, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Weatherall has suffered a stress fracture of the back.

The pair have been in excellent form for Northants this season, with Bopara scoring 525 runs in seven matches and Weatherall taking 18 wickets in five games.

Their absence will be a big loss for Northants, who are currently third in Division Two of the County Championship and pushing for promotion.

Northants head coach David Ripley said: "This is a big blow for us. Ravi and Raphy have been two of our most important players this season and we will miss them both greatly."

"We have a number of other players who can come into the team and we are confident that we can still achieve our goals this season," Ripley added.