Ricky Anderson's county cricket season could be over.

Essex skipper Ronnie Irani revealed yesterday (Wednesday) his promising young pace bowler has been "written off" for the rest of the season.

Irani believes if he plays any more cricket at all this summer it will a big bonus.

Anderson is struggling to shrug off a fractured toe injury suffered in the Championship win over current Second Division leaders Northamptonshire at Ilford in early June.

Ironically, the big Essex fans favourite recorded new career bests with both bat and ball in that match, but has not bowled or hit a ball in anger since.

The highly rated 23-year-old right-arm fast medium bowler had pencilled in Colchester week for his comeback after initially breaking down on his recovery trail in a Second XI game against Derbyshire at Saffron Walden in mid-July.

Irani said: "Ricky's continued absence is a massive blow to us, especially when you consider the good form he was in at the time of his injury.

"Sadly for him and the county his fractured toe is not getting any better.

"Ricky is a very slow healer and his toe is exactly the same now as it was when the injury happened."

Irani added Anderson's absence from the side is a double blow to Essex's Division Two title hopes as the vastly experienced former England left-arm strike bowler Mark Ilott is also sidelined with a hamstring injury.

"With our small squad just one of those two guys in the side would be a major asset to me now," said Irani.

"But it does give the younger guys a chance to break through a little sooner than expected. Although he is not a Ricky Anderson or Mark Ilott, young Andrew McGarry has already had a chance to show us what he is made of."

Anderson's failure to be fit for the annual Colchester festival, which got under way at Castle Park today with a four-day Championship outing against one-day cup wonders Gloucestershire, has come as a huge disappointment to the youngster.

He said earlier: "I would love to play in the festival, especially in the floodlit match against Surrey.

"I will be pulling out all the stops to make sure I'm there."

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