Who are the players to watch? Who’s in the squad? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What is the fixture list? Your questions answered
Coach: Adi Birrell
Captain: James Vince
Overseas: Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan), Kyle Abbott (South Africa)
Ins: Josh Croom (youth)
Outs: Harry Came (released), Oli Soames (released), Fidel Edwards
Fixtures: April 8 - Leicestershire (a), April 15 - Middlesex (h), April 22 - Gloucestershire (h), April 29 - Surrey (a), May 6 - Somerset (h), May 13 - Middlesex (a), May 20 - Leicestershire (h), June 3 - Somerset (a), July 4 - Surrey (h), July 11 - Gloucestershire (a)
Remind me what happened last year?
Robbed of the majority of their senior players in the truncated 2020 season - James Vince on international duty, Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbott to travel restrictions, Liam Dawson to injury - the county won two of their five first-class matches, flirting unsurprisingly with triumph and disaster on alternate weeks.
Dawson ruptured his Achilles in a first-class game against Middlesex at Radlett and only returned to the nets in early March 2021.
Mason Crane enjoyed a terrific 2020 in the Bob Willis Trophy, collecting 14 wickets at an average of 13.57 and earning himself a place as a reserve on England’s Test tour of India.
With the bat, Joe Weatherley had encouraging season, which brought him 263 runs at 43.83.
Mason Crane enjoyed an excellent 2020
What's happened over the winter?
Hampshire have been busy signing key players to extended contracts: Sam Northeast, Crane, Weatherley, and Ian Holland were among those to get fresh deals during the winter months.
Off the field, Hampshire’s long-time chairman Rod Bransgrove says he will resume the search for new investment in the club after the initial hunt was stifled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Bransgrove, who has been at the county’s helm since 2001, revealed last spring that he was seeking a buyer for Hampshire - into which he has pumped some £15million.
A restructure of the business at the Ageas Bowl, with a separate company created for the purposes of running Hampshire’s cricketing activity, has been completed in preparation for new investment.
“The way the ECB constitution is at the moment, the member of the ECB for the time being is the chairman of the cricket club - and that is me. But I recognise also that I’m now 70 years old, I’ve been in this position for 20 years and it’s not always been an easy relationship with the ECB,” Bransgrove told The Cricketer.
“It may be a good time, within the next year or two as I’m not rushing this, to start planning for a succession and have a new relationship with the ECB based on a much better current relationship. All the signs of that are encouraging now, that I’d be able to pass on a business where there is mutual respect and regard between the club, the ground and the ECB.
“We’re structuring the business ready for that kind of change.”
Bransgrove met with at least two interested parties about the possibility of buying into Hampshire last year but the impact of Covid-19 prevented any deal from being done.
Hampshire are expected to report a loss once their audited accounts are published later this year, though Bransgrove described it as “minimal”. He credits the furlough scheme as a major reason for minimising the financial damage caused by the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Allrounder Chris Wood opened up about his gambling addiction, after receiving a two-month suspended ban for betting on cricket matches.
He placed his last bet two years ago, now attends Gamblers Anonymous meetings and has also started to work with EPIC Risk Management, a leading independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy, to educate young people on the dangers he encountered.
The sanction agreed upon by Wood and the ECB, which was then ratified by Cricket Discipline Commission chair Tim O’Gorman, took into account these mitigating factors. Likewise, it was taken into consideration that the bets did not affect – nor have the potential to affect – the result of the relevant matches and that he did not play in those games.
Who's arrived and who's left?
Hampshire look to have assembled the most potent new-ball pair for April and May by teaming Abbott with Mohammad Abbas.
Abbott is now on an overseas contract at the Ageas after the Kolpak loophole was closed by Brexit legislation, while Abbas comes to the club following two destructive stints at Leicestershire.
The Pakistani seamer was due to join Nottinghamshire last year before Covid-19 took hold.
In 2018 and 2019 he claimed a combined 79 Championship wickets at an average of 20.67, with five five-wicket hauls.
Effectively, he replaces Edwards, whose long stay as a Kolpak player at Hampshire is over. Abbas was brought to the UK by Hampshire nearly three weeks before the season started, and will therefore not be affected by Pakistan being placed on the government's red list of banned travel countries from April 9.
Who will be the key men in 2021?
The conjugated seam partnership of Abbas and Abbott will be a big part of any successful Hampshire title bid, but they will need support.
Dawson, after nine months out of the game, could provide critical balance in the middle order and control with his left-arm spin.
Dawson is bullish about his chances of being fully fit for the start of the competitive season - a final decision is to be taken after Hampshire’s warm-up matches against Northamptonshire and Sussex.
“I’m really pleased with my rehab, I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in - I’ve lost some weight and feel good about where I’m at,” he said.
An XI featuring both Dawson, for control, and Crane, for incision, offers plenty to Hampshire, while Dawson’s ability with the bat - a first-class career average above 33 - makes his return that much more valuable.
Indeed, Hampshire’s middle order in general commands respect: Dawson following Northeast and Vince to offer experience and class at the crease.
At the top of the order, Weatherley will be hoping to build on his good form last year.
When fit Nye Donald’s explosive potential in the middle order needs to be realised. Donald showed much promise in his formative years at Glamorgan, but the switch to the Ageas Bowl has not yet rendered fruit. His recovery from an ACL injury has not quite come in time for the start of the season.
One to watch
This is the third time that Weatherley's name has been mentioned in this preview, but his form as opener really could go a long way to swinging things in Hampshire's favour.
Giving Vince and Northeast the comfort to score runs under low pressure could bring about the sort of totals which will look incredibly imposing once Abbott and Abbas get their hands on the Dukes.
What can we expect from this team this season?
Entertaining cricket. Hampshire are going to score their runs with style, and take bucketloads of wickets - especially in the early season.
The squad does, however, look a little thin in places and a combination of injuries or bad form may expose its limitations.
Hampshire find themselves in a tough group, but will be realistically targeting a top-two finish. And once the competition reaches its second stage, who knows.
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