John Turner is a right-arm fast bowler and right-hand batter.
He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and is a product of Hampshire’s highly successful youth system.
Having come through the Hampshire age group system, Turner then impressed during Second XI performances at the start of the 2021 season with natural pace and bounce.
A handful for any batter, in 2021 he made his First XI debut for Hampshire in the first Royal London Cup fixture against Essex at Utilita Bowl.
Incredibly, his first scalp for the club was England’s then-record Test run scorer Alastair Cook, having him caught at mid-wicket for just four runs.
His best spell in the competition was against Worcestershire where he combined with fellow South African Kyle Abbott to rip through the Pears’ batting line up, with Turner taking three wickets for only 44 runs.
These impressive contributions and more stellar performances in the second team were rewarded with a rookie contract for the 2022 season in which he made his First-Class debut against a Sri Lankan Development XI, taking 5-31.
Turner again shone in the One Day competition as a youthful Hampshire made the semi-final. His 20 wickets at an average of 16.70 saw him top of his side’s wicket taking charts, while he finished joint second across the competition. He also took two five-wicket hauls, with his best figures of 5-25 coming against Lancashire at Utilita Bowl.
In 2023, the fast bowler made a breakthrough into the County Championship and Vitality Blast sides. He took five wickets across two matches in the four-day competition, including 3-23 against Essex.
However, it was in T20 cricket that Turner really shone. On his debut against Middlesex, he took a wicket with his first ball as he went on to record figures of 3-30 from four overs. He finished the tournament with 21 wickets at an incredible average of just 11.76, as well as an economy of just 6.67.
His performances earned him a spot at Trent Rockets for The Hundred – where, in his only match of the competition, he bowled Jonny Bairstow with a sensational delivery.
Turner has also gained international interest and was called up for England men’s Vitality IT20 Series against New Zealand in August. However, he missed the four-match series after picking up a side injury.
Turner continued to perform into the 2024 season, picking up five wickets in the first three Blast games of the season, including former internationals Jason Roy and Cameron Bancroft. His best figures of 4-23 came in a tight seven-run victory over Essex, conceding just six runs from the crucial penultimate over.
More good work across the season earned Turner an ODI debut against the West Indies in October. His first wickets came in his second game, dismissing openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis to reduce the Windies to 12-2. His T20I debut followed where he took the wicket of West Indies skipper Rovman Powell.
Turner finished the 2024 season with 18 Hampshire appearances across all formats, taking 29 wickets: eight of those coming from just two matches in the One Day Cup, averaging 8.50.
He would be called up for the England Lions, first against the South African Invitational XI in December 2024 and then Australia XI in January 2025. Despite not playing against South Africa, he would pick up three wickets across his two four-day games against Australia.
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