With the 2010 County Cricket Championship fast approaching, attention will soon be turning away from England’s travels and on to the domestic game. And fans of Hampshire can be quietly optimistic with their chances this season.
With a plethora of new signings on board, the south coast county boasts a stellar line-up. Having secured the services of ex-England fast bowler Simon Jones, Hampshire coach Giles White quickly added Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis as the clubs overseas player for the season. Mendis is one of world cricket’s most promising young players and his capture can be seen as a huge plus for the county.
But they weren’t done there. The Hawks were also able to add explosive Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi as their overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup. Afridi is known to be one of the most dangerous players in the shorter form of the game and rival counties will already be dreading coming up against him in full flow. They also snapped up fast bowler Kabir Ali from Worcestershire and ex-South African opening batsman Neil McKenzie to complete what is shaping up to be a fearsome team.
Having won the Friends Provident Trophy and reached the quarter finals of the Twenty20 Cup last season, Hampshire already have a strong pedigree in limited overs cricket. But it’s the four day game that the Hawks want to master. Having briefly flirted with relegation last season, they fought their way to a sixth place finish. And with the shrewd additions to the squad, there’s every chance of success.
Along with the new signings, they have a fine group of current players, mixing seasoned experience with youthful promise. The likes of James Vince, Danny Briggs and David Griffiths represent a fine future for the club alongside the more veteran names like Nic Pothas and captain Dimitri Mascarenhas. If Hampshire can build on the steady progress of last season then it could be a interesting summer down at The Rose Bowl.
(Solent Speaker, 2010)
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