Hampshire line up Mark Stoneman as County Championship cover for James Vince

Vince had captained Hampshire across all formats for almost a decade, and will be replaced by wicketkeeper batter Ben Brown taking the reins in the Championship. However, Vince’s loss as one of the club’s most prolific batters has put the onus on bringing reinforcements to the Utilita Bowl promptly with the start of the English domestic season just two months away.

Stoneman is a reliable opening batter who boasts 14,448 first-class runs at an average of 34.23, with 31 centuries. He came through the ranks at Durham, playing in three Championship-winning sides at Chester-le-Street, and captained their One-Day Cup success in 2014, before moving to the Kia Oval for the 2017 season. Stoneman subsequently played a key role in Surrey’s 2018 title success – their first since 2002.

It was while at Surrey that he earned 11 Test caps for England, which included the 2017-18 Ashes, passing fifty five times without making it to three figures. A move to Middlesex arrived midway through 2021 (initially on loan) on a three-year deal, which the club eventually decided not to renew.