Graeme Welch to move from Warwickshire to Hampshire as bowling coach

The Cricketer understands the highly-rated coach will move in time for the start of the 2022 county season

Graeme Welch is leaving Warwickshire to join Hampshire as lead bowling coach.

The Cricketer understands the highly-rated and inventive coach will move in time for the start of the 2022 county season. 

The 49-year-old has won the County Championship as both a player and as a member of Warwickshire's off-field staff, and has been involved in coaching England's bowlers.

Unafraid to look for unorthodox solutions - Welch was the architect of the double-bouncing yorker for T20 cricket 11 years ago which was outlawed before it could catch on - he is credited by several current and former county players, including Leicestershire bowler Chris Wright and recently retired former Surrey and Warwickshire allrounder Rikki Clarke, with elongating their careers.

^{Graeme Welch working in the nets with James Anderson during England's 2020 behind-closed-doors summer (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)}

“Graeme Welch, from my point of view, is a major reason why my career has gone on for so long," Clarke told The Cricketer.

"We spoke a lot about my bowling and worked on it, and I owe him massive credit for my career and allowing me to be the consistent bowler I have been over recent years.

"Looking it from that point of view, he helped massively to prolong my career to where I am now."

Welch's arrival follows news that Alfonso Thomas will be departing the Ageas Bowl at the end of the year.

Thomas has spent three seasons at Hampshire after arriving in 2019.