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Broken finger ends Renshaw's county spell

Fruitful campaign with Somerset comes to an early end with the Australian to head home with a damaged digit

Matthew Renshaw's starring spell with county side Somerset is over, after the club confirmed the Test opener has suffered a broken finger.

Renshaw, whose three centuries for club have seen him edge to the top of 2018's leading first-class run-scorers, will return home after injuring a digit in Somerset's four-day clash with Surrey at Guildford.

"Matt sustained a fracture on the top of his finger," Somerset coach Jason Kerr said. "After speaking with Cricket Australia it has been agreed that he will return to Australia sooner rather than later.

"Sadly for us that means it is the end of his time with Somerset this season.

"It's a huge blow to us because he has been brilliant both on and off the field. He fitted into the dressing room very well and a player of that calibre is going to be missed."

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Renshaw has two months to recover for his next playing assignment, an Australia A tour of India, where the left-hander is set to feature in both one-day and four-day matches.

The opening batsman is an incumbent in the Test side, with their next encounter a two-match series against Pakistan in the UAE.

Given the recent upheavals, as well as the new leadership pairing of Justin Langer (head coach) and Tim Paine (captain), Renshaw's place at the top of the order may be up for grabs.

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His injury brings to end a fruitful stint in the UK, Renshaw's country of birth, having only called up as a last-minute replacement for suspended fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft at Somerset.

Renshaw struck 513 runs in 11 Championship innings, helping Somerset reach top spot on the Division One table to put the club within sight of a maiden title.

"It does create an opportunity for somebody else to come in and step up, so from that point of view it's quite exciting," added Kerr.