Hampshire Cricket is pleased to announce that South African batsman Neil McKenzie has agreed to join the Club as a Kolpak player for the 2010 cricket season. He will join the squad on 4th April and be available for the whole season.

An attractive stroke-player, who is particularly strong through the leg-side, 34-year-old McKenzie will add further stability to a talented Hampshire batting line up. The opening batsman, who plays for Highveld Lions in South Africa, will bring further international experience to an exciting squad.

McKenzie made his Test debut for South Africa in 2000 in Sri Lanka and has since made 58 Test and 64 One Day International appearances. An impressive Test average of 37.4 includes a top score of 226 against Bangladesh in 2008, when he was involved in a world record opening stand of 415 with Graeme Smith.

During the South Africa tour to England later that year, he batted for over nine hours for 138 to secure a draw in the First Test at Lords. The innings proved crucial as South Africa won the series 2-1. In 2008, he scored over 1000 Test runs and in recognition of this, he was named as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year 2009 along with James Anderson (England), Dale Benkenstein (Durham), Mark Boucher (South Africa) and Sarah Taylor (England).

As well as touring with South Africa, McKenzie has also played in England for Somerset CCC and Durham CCC.

McKenzie joins Kabir Ali, Simon Jones, Shahid Afridi and Ajantha Mendis as new additions to the Hampshire Cricket squad for the 2010 season.

Hampshire Cricket Chairman, Rod Bransgrove said:
“The addition of Neil McKenzie to our strong squad is the last part of a carefully-planned process. His well-proven abilities will bring further resilience to our batting in all forms of cricket and I really believe that we now have a squad which will challenge for honours in all competitions. I am delighted that he has chosen to come here.”

1st XI Team Manager Giles White commented:

“Neil is a highly-experienced and effective batsman who brings great presence to the Club both on and off the field. We need strength in depth to sustain a realistic challenge in modern day cricket and I am satisfied that we now have that in all key departments. No doubt, Hampshire supporters will warm to him very quickly and I hope he and his family enjoy the Hampshire experience this summer.”

Neil McKenzie said:
“I’m really looking forward to playing for Hampshire. I know it’s a great club - one with great expectations of itself - and it will be exciting to be part of it.”
 

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