Ripley and Warren pay tribute to Wakely as he stands down as Northants skipper

Wakely made the announcement on the Thursday lunchtime, bringing to an end a six-year stint as the club's one-day skipper, and four-year stay as the captain of the four-day side.

The 30-year-old steps down knowing he is the only captain in the club's history to claim two major honours - the Twenty20 titles in 2013 and 2016 - and Ripley was quick to heap praise on the homegrown talent, who joined the club as a 12-year-old.

"Wakers is one of the best blokes in cricket, nobody has a bad word to say about him," said the head coach.

"It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside him for the last six years as captain and coach, and It has been an even bigger pleasure to see him rise through the club's academy to become a top first class player.

"His captaincy record is there for all to see, with trophies in the bag.

"I look forward to seeing him go on for many years as a player where he still has loads to offer."

Chairman Warren also praised Wakely for his efforts as captain, particularly as he at times had to do his job under a 'financial challenge' as the club faced some off-field difficulties.

“I want to thank Alex for his enormous contribution to this club as captain over the past few years,” said Warren.

“He led the team during a period of financial challenge and the board were always impressed with how he conducted himself.

"He will go down in the history books as one of our outstanding leaders, on a par with some of the great names of Northamptonshire cricket.”