DALE Steyn is determined to “repay” Hampshire during the last six weeks of the season.

The fast bowler makes his T20 debut for Hampshire tonight in the first of the county’s Vitality Blast dead rubbers.

Steyn played three Royal London One-Day Cup games, including the final, and took 5-66 in the second of his two County Championship appearances, against Yorkshire at The Ageas Bowl, in June.

Now he is preparing for his second county T20 stint, having taken 11 wickets at 10.27 (including 3-22 against Hampshire) for Glamorgan two years ago, after becoming South Africa’s joint top Test wicket-taker in Sri Lanka last month.

Steyn did not expect to return to a Hampshire side that has no realistic chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals after one win from nine games.

But he was in typically positive mood as he prepared for a second stint that includes Hampshire’s last six Championship matches – starting against Notts a week on Sunday.

The 35 year-old believes he owes Hampshire for giving him the chance to return to full fitness last month, following a long-term shoulder problem.

“Hampshire took me on a risk, I was injured when they signed me so to repay them with five wickets in a county game and the one-day cup made it a really good month, I really enjoyed it,” he said.

“I’m just hoping I can repay them even more in the next six weeks, by bringing some energy and good performances.

“Nothing is guaranteed but I’ll give all I can in the next six weeks. I’m just looking forward to playing some white-ball stuff.

“Hopefully we’ll win a whole bunch of games if not all of them and at the same time build some momentum for the red ball comp. It’s is so important for this side to finish the season well.”

Hampshire head coach Craig White admitted his side ‘let everyone down’ when they were bowled out for 88, needing only 141, against Kent on Friday night.

“We’re going to play for pride and spoil some other team’s plays,” said White, who will be making a change to Hampshire’s top four in the absence of Colin Munro, who Steyn replaces as the county’s second overseas player.

“The big four hasn’t worked,” he said. “I can’t count how many times we have had bad powerplays. They are all good players but it just hasn’t happened for us.

“It’s hard to put fingers on exactly what’s going wrong. We’ll have to sit down and have a look at the right balance of the side.”

“ We just have to stay positive and keep working really hard to turn it around.”