Match Preview: Hampshire v Surrey, LV= CC
A 12-player squad has been selected for Hampshire’s final LV= Insurance County Championship match of 2023 against Surrey at The Ageas Bowl
Aneurin Donald is a right-hand batter and occasional wicket-keeper.
He was born in Swansea, Glamorgan and has represented Hampshire in all formats since joining the Club in 2018.
Having spent his youth as part of Glamorgan’s age-group sides, he made his First-Class debut for the Welsh side in 2014, followed by first limited-overs appearances the following year.
His main highlight for the county was a stunning maiden First-Class century which saw him strike an astonishing 234 off just 136 balls – an innings which equalled the record for the fastest double-century in First-Class cricket.
After making the switch to the south coast – initially on loan in 2018, before joining permanently in 2019 – Donald helped Hampshire secure a third-place County Championship finish and a Lord's final in his first full season, scoring 888 runs across all formats along the way, including a magnificent 173 off 144 balls against Warwickshire in July.
The right-hander continued to show his ability to be destructive with the bat in limited-overs action, featuring in all Vitality Blast games in 2019 registering a strike-rate of 138.10, whilst also contributing to Hampshire’s successful 50-over campaign in which the side reached a second successive List A final.
Donald then suffered an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament and had to undergo surgery which kept him out for the following two seasons.
The Welshman returned from long-term injury at the start of 2022, and starred for the Second XI at the start of the season – with two centuries in the first two matches – as well as making appearances across all three formats for the First XI.
In the County Championship Donald scored 398 runs at an average of 28.43, with a best of 94 in the dramatic win over Northamptonshire at The Ageas Bowl. While he was also a mainstay in the Royal London Cup side scoring 227 runs, including an explosive 76 from 36 balls in the final group game against Yorkshire Vikings.
His impressive comeback was rewarded with a new two-year contract ahead of the 2023 season.
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