Northamptonshire have confirmed that Mike Hussey will captain the county in 2002.

The 26-year-old left-hander from Perth succeeds David Ripley who retired from first-class cricket at the end of last summer, which saw the side relegated in both league competitions.

Hussey made a major impact in his debut year on the county circuit, becoming the first player since 1981 to score 2,000 first-class runs in a season for Northants, and also setting a new club record with his unbeaten 329 against Essex at Northampton in July.

He said: "This is a great honour for me, and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"Obviously we must be looking to get ourselves back into the first division in the two major competitions, and with the talent we have available I can't see any reason why we can't achieve that.

"It'll be a thrill to lead the team, and I'm really looking forward to starting the job in April."

Northants' Chief Executive Steve Coverdale added: "We're delighted that Mike has agreed to take on the captaincy. He set a superb example to everyone last year, and showed that he has the credentials to take us forward."

Hussey becomes the county's fifth captain since the retirement of Allan Lamb in 1995, following Rob Bailey, Kevin Curran, fellow Australian Matthew Hayden and Ripley.

© Northamptonshire CCC