Hampshire sign Bailey on two-year deal

Hampshire have signed George Bailey, the Australian batsman, on a two-year deal to play in all formats of the game.

Bailey, at 34, remains an integral part of Australia's one-day squad so unless his international career takes a nosedive, or he has retirement plans on his mind, he could miss a month of Hampshire's season in June because of the Champions Trophy.

Hampshire's director of cricket, Giles White, said: "George has an excellent record across all formats of the game, has captained his country and is highly regarded as a person. He made a lasting impression during his previous stint with us and we are delighted to have him at Hampshire for the next couple of years."

Bailey, who spent a period at Hampshire in 2013, has also had county spells at Middlesex and Sussex.

Hampshire were relegated from Division One of the Championship last season, only to be reprieved when Durham were sent down in their place as punishment for a financial bail-out. Their long run of success in T20 cricket also came to an end when they failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the NatWest Blast.