Hampshire announced on Monday that they have signed Australian all-rounder D’Arcy Short for the entire season ahead of the Vitality T20 Blast. The southpaw previously played in the T20 Blast for Durham, where he scored 483 runs in 12 innings at a 43.90 average.
Hampshire finished last season’s T20 tournament at the bottom of the South Group, with just two wins in the whole season. However, ahead of the start of the new Vitality T20 Blast season on June 9, the county has announced the signing of Australian all-rounder D’Arcy Short for the entire season.
Short made an indelible impression in his last outing in the competition, hitting 483 runs at 43.90 mph in 12 innings for Durham in 2019, finishing as the season’s fourth top run scorer. Since then, the batsman has played for the national team at the top of the order on many occasions. Short has scored 3991 runs and taken 48 wickets in T20 cricket so far.
Provided that he has been included in the preliminary squad for the West Indies tour, it is unclear if the left-hander will be fit for the whole season. If the Australian top-order batsman is included in the final team, the county will have to find a replacement.
“I’m ecstatic to be joining a club with such a rich past as Hampshire Hawks! I’m looking forward to getting to The Ageas Bowl and hoping that we will have a successful season and win our first championship since 2012, “Short remarked.
Hampshire’s Director of Cricket, Giles White, expressed his delight at the signing, stating that the left-hander would provide the side with much-needed balance with both the bat and the ball.
“We are ecstatic to announce D’Arcy’s signing for the Vitality Blast this summer.” He is a world-class player who has regularly shown his ability to score a large number of runs at the top of the order, both for Australia and in a number of the world’s best T20 tournaments,” he added.
“We’re excited about what he brings to the side and are looking forward to having him with us,” he said. “Alongside his bat skills, he also gives us another spin bowling choice with the ball, so we’re excited about what he brings to the side and are looking forward to having him with us.”