Hampshire confirm signing of Northeast after batsman rejected Kent contract extension

The batsman turned down the offer of a contract extension at Canterbury and Kent have received a fee from Hampshire, given the player still had a year of his contract to run

^{Hampshire have signed Sam Northeast}

Sam Northeast has moved from Kent to Hampshire, the two counties have confirmed.

The batsman turned down the offer of a contract extension at Canterbury and Kent have received a fee from Hampshire, given the player still had a year of his contract to run.

Northeast has signed a deal which will see him stay at the Ageas Bowl until at least 2021 and believes the switch will benefit his chances of earning a call-up to the England squad.

"I have had a really enjoyable 10 years at Kent and I would like to wish the club and its supporters the best of luck for the future," Northeast said.

SAM NORTHEAST CAREER STATS

First class: 136 matches, 223 innings, 8,528 runs, 19 100s, ave 39.66

List A: 88 matches, 80 innings, 2,462 runs, 3 100s, ave 32.82

T20: 90 matches, 82 innings, 2,282 runs, 1 100, ave 32.14

"It was an honour to be the club captain for three years and I leave the club with many happy memories.

"At the same time, I am hugely excited about joining Hampshire. It is a club and a team with a very bright future, and I am really looking forward to making as big a contribution as possible towards the club's success. I hope this move will also help me push on to fulfil my dream of playing for England."

The 28-year-old was capped by Kent in 2012, and leaves the club having scored 19 first-class centuries during his decade-long stay.

Kent chief executive Ben Green said: “It’s sad that Sam has decided to leave Kent. We wish him well and thank him for all his efforts during his time with Kent."

^{Northeast has scored over 8,500 first-class runs}

Northeast, who will captain the South in the ECB's North-South series prior to the start of the domestic season, is a signing that has Hampshire director Giles White buzzing.

"Sam is an exciting addition to the squad. He’s the type of cricketer and person that we believe will fit into the team well and we are delighted that he has chosen to pursue his career at Hampshire," said White.

"He will add quality to the batting line up, has ability in all forms of the game and has a strong desire to improve. Hopefully we can provide him the platform to push for higher honours."