Mason Crane is a promising young leg-spin bowler and right-hand batsman.
A product of Hampshire’s impressive youth system and supported by the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust through the BJMT Elite Spin Bowling Programme, Mason is regarded as one of the most exciting spin bowling prospects in the country.
Born and raised in Sussex, Mason was released by his home county at Under 14 level and taken on by Hampshire under the stewardship of former Hants spinners Darren Flint and Raj Maru with the latter stating he ‘could see he had something special when he first saw him as a 13 year-old.’
Through his development with Flint and Maru, Mason worked hard on developing and disguising more variations and the leg-spinner quickly became a regular for Hants at age group level and through to the Academy.
At age 18, Mason was given a surprise call-up to the Hampshire first-team for the NatWest T20 Blast match against Surrey in July 2015, impressively picking up the scalps of experienced pair Kumar Sangakarra and Vikram Solanki on debut.
From then, Mason enjoyed a hugely successful year at the Ageas Bowl and he became the youngest Hampshire player to take a five-wicket haul in the Championship when he finished with figures of 5-35 against Warwickshire at the Ageas Bowl.
Mason, who was awarded the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl Breakthrough Player of the Year Award at the end of the campaign, signed a new two-year contract with the club in October until the end of the 2017 season.
Alongside team-mate Brad Taylor, Mason was named in the England Under 19s touring party to play a tri-series against Sri Lanka and India Under-19s in Colombo before Christmas.
Crane claimed 31 Championship wickets in 2016, playing in 12 matches and taking 3-19 from a furious spell with Tino Best in Hampshire's first victory of the season, winning by 69 runs against Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl.
The leg-spinner took back-to-back seven wickets hauls for Gordon CC in Australia, which earned him a call-up to the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield clash in the winter. Crane became the first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1984/85 to play state cricket in Australia, and continued his form by impressing in the 2017 North vs South series in the UAE
The 22-year-old continued to impress on the county scene in 2017 as he claimed 49 wickets in all three formats. That excellent form saw him receive a first England call-up, where he featured in two T20I matches for Eoin Morgan’s side before getting the nod for England’s 2017/18 Ashes series in Australia, a tour which saw him make his Test debut.
Despite returning to England with a back stress-fracture which limited his playing opportunities last season, Crane still managed to play a pivotal role in Hampshire’s Royal London One-Day Cup triumph in June, before working on regaining full fitness this winter ahead of the 2019 campaign.
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