Maxwell bolsters Hampshire for Twenty20

Hampshire have bolstered their options for the Friends Life t20 by registering Australia allrounder Glenn Maxwell who has been playing club cricket for South Wilts and Hampshire Second XI.

The signing of Maxwell, a 23-year-old right-handed batsman and offspinner, provides cover for Hampshire's two overseas players already signed for the Flt20: Simon Katich - who is with Hampshire for the whole season and played in the first season of T20 in 2003 - and Shahid Afridi, who also played T20 for Hampshire last season, where Hampshire reached finals day and lost to Somerset in the semi-final on a super over.

If Maxwell is required he will bring experience from both the IPL, where he played two games for Delhi Daredevils this season, and the Big Bash League with the Melbourne Renegades, for whom he scored 124 runs in six innings. He made his Hampshire Second XI debut against Essex in a Trophy match at the start of May, scoring 66 and taking 1 for 12 in six overs before two blistering T20 innings: 32 from 12 balls against Sussex and 115 against MCC Young Cricketers - his century coming from 31 balls with the last fifty from 11 balls.

"I like to say I'm an entertaining cricketer in all facets of the game," Maxwell said. "So I like to try to entertain the crowds and keep the game pretty interesting. I've seen a few of the crowds for the Twenty20s and they've been really good. So I'm looking forward to seeing West End packed out and hopefully getting a few runs in front of a big crowd.

"We've got an amazing squad and a really gifted bunch of young players so I'd be very surprised if we weren't up the top somewhere in the FLt20."