Hampshire Cricket Announce Dual Captaincy For 2017 Season

Hampshire Cricket can announce that James Vince and George Bailey will share the club’s captaincy responsibilities for the 2017 season.

Vince, who was appointed Hampshire captain in 2015, will remain as club captain and continue to lead the side in limited-overs fixtures, covering both the Royal London One-Day Cup and the NatWest T20 Blast competitions.

Bailey, who returned to Hampshire on a two-year deal this off-season following a previous stint at the The Ageas Bowl in 2013, will captain the side in this year’s Specsavers County Championship campaign.

The move will allow both batsman an opportunity to focus on their own games during a busy campaign, whilst still affording them the opportunity to contribute across each format with their leadership skills. 

The 26-year-old Vince has impressed previously as skipper, demonstrating his ability as a natural leader of England Lions and the South in the ECB’s recent inaugural North v South competition, alongside his captaincy responsibilities with Hampshire.

Bailey is also widely regarded as a natural leader, having enjoying stints as Australian limited-overs captain in two World T20 campaigns and during the 2015 50-over World Cup, as well as leading his Australian state side, Tasmania.

The 34-year old is hugely experienced at both domestic and International level, totalling 121 appearances across all three formats since making his International debut for Australia in 2012, whilst also featuring on no less than 514 occasions domestically.

Bailey’s first competitive match as four-day skipper will be a visit to Chelmsford as Hampshire take on Essex on Friday 19 May.