HAMPSHIRE are without Sam Northeast for the foreseeable future after the new signing suffered a suspected fractured finger in training.

The new signing is out of Hampshire’s current match against county champions Essex, which began at The Ageas Bowl yesterday, after sustaining the injury on Thursday.

Lewis McManus and Rilee Rossouw missed a large chunk of last season after undergoing surgery on damaged digits.

But Hampshire will await further scans before releasing any update on Northeast, who scored a classy 129 against Surrey last week.

Hampshire reached 41-0 from the 15 overs that were possible on a rain-affected first day against Essex.

Play was originally delayed by half an hour due to overnight rain, before Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate asked Hampshire to bat.

Thick grey skies and floodlights overhead hinted at good bowling conditions, but Jimmy Adams (19no) and Joe Weatherley (22no), who replaced Northeast with McManus dropping down the order, batted with relative comfort.

Both struck four boundaries, with Weatherley particularly strong through the offside, before play was abandoned around 2.30pm.

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: “It’s obviously disappointing that we were only able to get 15 overs in but we’ve done well to get underway at all.”