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Hampshire have signed Colin de Grandhomme, the New Zealand allrounder, for the second half of the T20 Blast. Having undergone ankle surgery after missing the home international season through injury, de Grandhomme is expected to be fit enough to take his place in New Zealand's Test squad for their tour of England, which includes the World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl from June 18-22. He will join up with Hampshire immediately after the WTC final - most likely in time for their fixture against Somerset on June 25 - and is expected to be available for the final eight games of the Blast's group stage. It is unclear whether he would be available for the knockout stages, with a five-week gap between the final round of group games and the quarter-finals. He has become a specialist at attacking spinners in the middle overs of T20s in recent years, and provides an extra bowling option with his cutters. Hampshire are de Grandhomme's second county after two years playing for the Birmingham Bears in 2017 and 2018. He is the fifth New Zealand international to sign a contract for this summer's Blast, following Glenn Phillips (Gloucestershire), James Neesham (Essex), Finn Allen (Lancashire) and Lockie Ferguson (Yorkshire). Hampshire have won the Blast twice, in 2010 and 2012, but have endured a poor run in the competition over the last five seasons: since 2016, they have won only 21 of their 60 completed games, fewer than any other county.
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