Mason Crane is a right-arm leg-spin bowler and right-hand batter.
He was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex and is regarded as one of the most exciting spin bowling prospects in the country having developed through Hampshire’s impressive youth system.
After joining the Club’s set-up at U14 level, he quickly became a regular for Hants at age-group level and through to the Academy, and aged just 18, Mason was given a call-up to make his First XI in a T20 fixture against Surrey in July 2015. It was a dream debut for the spinner, impressively picking up the scalps of experienced pair Kumar Sangakarra and Vikram Solanki on debut.
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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 that summer. Alongside team-mate Brad Taylor, Mason also received a winter England U19 call-up.
Although white-ball opportunities were limited in 2016, Crane continued to shine in red-ball action, claiming 31 Championship wickets in 12 matches. Whilst spending the winter in Australia for grade side Gordon CC, he took incredible back-to-back seven wickets hauls, performances which earned him a call-up to the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield clash in the winter – becoming the first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1984/85 to play state cricket in Australia.
Crane continued to impress on the county scene in 2017, proving his value in both red and white-ball competitions 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 – picking up the scalp of AB De Villiers as his first international wicket - before also getting the nod for England’s 2017/18 Ashes series in Australia, a tour which saw him make his Test debut.
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Despite returning to England with a back stress-fracture which prevented him from playing a large role in 2018, Crane still managed to be instrumental in Hampshire’s Royal London One-Day Cup triumph in June.
After working on regaining full fitness throughout that winter, Crane was able to head into the 2019 season with his injury fully healed, and he enjoyed a positive campaign particularly in white-ball cricket. He claimed 14 wickets to help push Hampshire to a second consecutive 50-over final, alongside 11 Vitality Blast scalps.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a truncated 2020 domestic season, Crane performed excellently, picking up 14 wickets at an average of just 13.57 in five Bob Willis Trophy matches to go with nine scalps at 22 apiece in the Vitality Blast.
2021 came around and Crane once again dominated in white ball cricket for Hampshire, picking up 16 wickets in the Vitality Blast, with a best of 3/23. The leg spinner spent time in and out of the red ball side but still managed to impress in only six apperances, 23 wickets at 25 apiece and a best of 5/41 against Lancashire as he almost bowled Hampshire to the Championship title.
This positive season and his obvious potential lead to Crane being seleced for the England Lions tour of Australia which runs alongside the main squads Ashes tour.
