Hamphire's Aneurin Donald to join Derbyshire at end of contract

Donald arrived at The Ageas Bowl, initially on loan in 2018, before joining permanently in 2019 and has since made 64 appearances across all three formats for the club.

Donald scored just under 2,000 runs – including a best of 173 from 144 balls against Warwickshire in the 2019 County Championship.

Speaking about his departure, he said: “After long consideration, and with a heavy heart, I’ve decided to pursue another opportunity with Derbyshire.

“I’ve been privileged to play a tiny part in Hampshire’s rich history and will forever cherish my time here. The memories and friendships that I’ve made over the past years are extremely special to me.

“To all of the fans, coaches and players – thank you for welcoming me into the Hampshire family and I wish the club, and the people involved, nothing but success.”

After suffering an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament which saw him miss both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the explosive batter made a return in 2022 and was part of the Vitality Blast winning team.

He was also involved in the Hampshire squads that finished runners-up in the 2019 Royal London Cup and, most recently, the 2023 Metro Bank One Day Cup – in which he recorded back-to-back centuries against Kent Spitfires and Worcestershire Rapids.

Hampshire director of cricket, Giles White insisted just the 26 year old will be missed.

He said: “Naturally, we are sad to see Aneurin go, but we understand and support his decision to find consistent game time at this stage of his career.

“Aneurin has been an extremely popular member of the club since he joined in 2019. He is a great team man and over the years he has shifted the course of many games in the team’s favour.

“We wish him nothing but the best for the future as he transitions into another phase of his career and thank him for his wholehearted commitment to Hampshire Cricket since his arrival.”