His season may have been cruelly brought to a premature finish by a knee injury but Norfolk cricket star Olly Stone is still a man in demand.

The Brundall-raised bowler suffered a compact knee injury with anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage involvement when playing for Northamptonshire last month.

That has not stopped eight County Championship clubs from making an approach for the 22-year-old, whose contract with Northants expires at the end of this season.

'Whether he'll want to see all eight, maybe not. But I'm sure he'll pick out some and see what they've got to say,' Northants director of cricket David Ripley said.

Hampshire are one of the counties who have reportedly lodged an approach for the former Thorpe St Andrew School pupil.

Stone missed out on England Lions action over the winter as he rested a stress fracture in his back ahead of the new season, also missing an England Performance Programme bowling camp in South Africa.

He returned home and played for Vauxhall Mallards and Norfolk as he got back up to speed but saw his season ruined in cruel fashion, when leaping in the air to celebrate the key wicket of England's Moeen Ali in a T20 Blast match.

'He's assured us he'll come back to us and see what we've got to say and we're still hopeful he'll stay,' Ripley continued, speaking to BBC Radio Northampton.

'He was on the verge of Lions cricket before his injury and we think we can do well with his injury.

'Barry Goudriaan (physio) has got a very good record of rehabbing players so I think that's a card for us to play.'