Hampshire Hawks Sign Colin de Grandhomme For 2021 Vitality Blast

Hampshire Hawks are delighted to announce the signing of New Zealand all-rounder, Colin de Grandhomme.

The Blackcap international has signed a deal for this year’s Vitality Blast, putting pen-to-paper on a T20 contract for the 2021 campaign which will see him join up with James Vince's squad following his World Test Championship commitments with New Zealand.

A hard-hitting middle-order batsman and accurate right-arm seamer, de Grandhomme is one of the world’s best all-format all-rounders having made 102 international appearances in all three forms of the game for New Zealand since his debut in 2012.

De Grandhomme has been an important part of New Zealand’s success in recent years, becoming an integral part of the ODI side that reached the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final and a prominent feature of a strong IT20 squad which has recorded four consecutive series wins against West Indies, Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively.

The right-armer has also made key contributions to New Zealand’s Test success, most recently helping them seal a place in the ICC World Test Championship Final set to be played at The Ageas Bowl this June.

Alongside his international experience, de Grandhomme has a strong domestic record, particularly in T20 cricket, having featured for a number of franchises in some of the most prominent short-form competitions in the world.

With 3353 runs at an average of 24.29 and 66 wickets to his name in 201 matches - he also boasts an excellent strike-rate of 161.20, the fifth highest batting strike-rate in T20 history – he will bring further experience and skill to James Vince’s side.

This month saw Hampshire announce the return of the Hawks for T20 cricket, starting from this summer’s Vitality Blast.

The Hawks’ reintroduction comes hot-on-the-heels of the announcement confirming fans can return to sports arenas from Monday 17th May and follows record-breaking demand for tickets and passports for this summer's Vitality Blast fixtures at The Ageas Bowl.

Tickets for Hampshire Hawks’ T20 double-header on Friday 16th July – which will see James Vince’s side face Essex Eagles and local rivals Sussex Sharks in ‘el clasicoast’ on the same day – have been in particularly high demand, with the double-header the fastest-selling T20 fixture on record at The Ageas Bowl.

Vitality Blast Passports, allowing access to all seven of Hampshire Hawks’ action-packed T20 matches at The Ageas Bowl this summer for just £119, have also been hugely popular, with already more Passports sold for 2021 than in any previous season.

Buoyed by Hampshire’s ‘Ticket Refund Promise’ groups of friends, families and colleagues have been booking a date for their summer socials at The Ageas Bowl. All seven Hampshire Hawks home matches will take place after Monday 21st June as part of a bumper schedule of T20 action, with crowds returning to The Ageas Bowl as Hampshire aim to reach a ninth Vitality Blast Finals Day.

To secure Vitality Blast tickets and passports at the Advance price, please follow the link above. A range of hospitality packages are also available for this summer’s fixtures. To find out more please visit www.ageasbowl.com/hospitality.

Fans can also now purchase replica Hampshire Hawks playing wear at store.ageasbowl.com.