Injured Marcus North out for the season

Marcus North, the Western Australia captain, will miss the rest of the season due to an injury to his right little finger. He will now also be ruled out of the first three months of the English season, where he has signed to play for Glamorgan.

The injury means North will be unavailable should the Western Australia make the Sheffield Shield final, which looks increasingly likely after their comprehensive win over New South Wales in Perth on Sunday.

It was during that match that North suffered the problem in the field, and he took no further part in the game. North had surgery on Friday night and was told he had ruptured tendons in the finger, which will keep him out of action for at least three months.

"There's never a good time for an injury and unfortunately it's come for me at the back end of the season when we're playing really good cricket," North told reporters in Perth on Monday. "It's devastating not to have the opportunity to play the rest of the season, but I'll certainly be right behind the guys and hoping for the best. It would be great to top it off with making a Shield final and winning a Shield final and if they do, I'll just have to live with the fact I won't be playing in it."

Shaun Marsh will captain the Warriors in their next match, a Ryobi Cup game against New South Wales on Wednesday, which will be his first experience of state leadership. The vice-captain Adam Voges has been ruled out of the one-day game due to a shoulder injury.