Ollie Sale's season over as Northants pace bowler suffers stress fracture

A winter signing from Taunton at the end of last season, Sale had hoped to kick-start his career at the County Ground.

He arrived with a history of some injury issues, and they have sadly resurfaced at Wantage Road, with the confirmation of a stress fracture in his back a month ago ensuring he is now going to have to wait until 2024 to make his Northants debut.

Head coach John Sadler admits it is 'a real disappointment' for the club and the player, and is now hoping the player can get himself right for next summer.

"Ollie has been plagued with injuries, but he had a pretty good winter where he worked hard," said Sadler.

"He was then out bowling pre-season in Cape Town, and since then it has been one thing after another with his back.

"He has also suffered with illness which put him out for a month and his body took a bit of time to recover from that, it was quite nasty for him.

"But he got fit again, started building things back up, and then MRI scans showed he had a bit of a stress fracture down at the bottom of his back.

"That was about three or four weeks ago and has pretty much ruled him out for the rest of the season.

"That is a real disappointment for us, and a real disappointment for him because he is a great lad and a great character to have around the dressing room.

"Unfortunately, he has not quite got going for us at all and he has already started his rehab ready for next year, and building things up so he can be as strong as he can be, and we wish him well.

"He is a great lad and it has been really hard for him, but hopefully he can come back stronger."

Sale's season of inactivity at Northampton means he has now not bowled a ball in senior cricket since playing for Somerset in a 50-over match in August, 2022.