Lynn, Cartwright provide Hampshire with Blast reinforcements
Batters replace Pretorius, Brevis for second half of competition, with team currently sitting sixth
ESPNcricinfo staff
02-Jul-2025 • 12 hrs ago
Chris Lynn has been brought in as a reinforcement by Hampshire • Getty Images
Hampshire have brought in Chris Lynn and Hilton Cartwright as overseas reinforcements in their bid to become the first team to win the men's T20 Blast four times.
Lynn and Cartwright will replace Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis for the second half of the Blast's group stage, who both made their Test debuts for South Africa in Zimbabwe last week. Tilak Varma, who has been playing for Hampshire in the County Championship, is not allowed to play in the Blast due to the BCCI's policy on No-Objection Certificates.
Lynn, the all-time leading run-scorer in Australia's BBL, has previously played two seasons for Northamptonshire in the Blast, where he averaged 44 and scored three centuries. As a teenager, he spent an Australian winter playing club cricket in Hampshire for Gosport Borough, near Portsmouth.
"It's great to return to Hampshire, this time as a pro; I had a brilliant time playing club cricket in the county a while ago now," Lynn said. "The Hawks are a hugely successful side and hopefully I can play a big part in the second half of the Blast to take the team to Finals Day."
Cartwright, 33, has previously played for Middlesex and Derbyshire in the Blast, and spent one season with Oval Invincibles in the Hundred. "It's great to sign for the Hawks for the back end of the Blast and join up with Chris Lynn," he said. "I've had some great battles with him on the cricket field. I hope I can make this stint a memorable one and get the team in a great spot to get to Finals Day come September."
Hampshire sit sixth in the South Group, with six matches remaining to secure a top-four berth. Brevis and Pretorius both made an impact, averaging in the 30s while striking at 181 and 140 respectively, but James Vince, their captain, has had an uncharacteristically quiet season with 193 runs in eight innings.
Giles White, Hampshire's director of cricket, said: "We are delighted to have Chris with us for the back half of the Blast. We've got some important games ahead of us and his experience and explosive batting gives us a big boost… It's great to welcome Hilton to the club for the remaining Blast games. He's a dynamic cricketer and will be a great addition to the team as we push for the knockout stages."