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Legspinner Mason Crane, who made one Test appearance for England, has agreed to a three-year deal with Glamorgan. Having come through the Hampshire youth system, he has been signed to the club for his whole professional career. However, this season, after going on a season-long loan, he has had success in Cardiff.
Crane, 27, said he has “loved every minute” of his time at Glamorgan. He is the team’s top wicket-taker in both the County Championship (24 at 42.87) and the T20 Blast (17 at 16.94) this season.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to make this move permanent,” Crane said. “I’m very excited for the next chapter and the years to come.”
Grant Bradburn, Glamorgan’s head coach, said Crane had been “an outstanding addition” this season and that his success has been “testament to the culture our players have welcomed him into.” Bradburn said: “We feel very fortunate to have the quality of Mason here at the club and we look forward to building more success with him as part of our Glamorgan family.”
When Crane was a youngster, he played professionally for Hampshire, and Kumar Sangakkara was his first victim. After playing two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for England against South Africa in 2017, he gained rapid recognition. Later that year, he was included in the Test team for an Ashes tour, occupying the second spinner spot behind Moeen Ali.
At the age of 20, he received an unexpected debut at the SCG, where he claimed one wicket at a cost of 193 runs. Since then, injury and form loss have made it difficult for him to get regular opportunities, especially in first-class cricket. Nevertheless, he has continued to be a vital member of the teams that have won the T20 Blast (2022) and the Royal London Cup (2018).
“I would like to thank everyone at Hampshire for an amazing journey over the years,” Crane said. “We have created some memories together that will last forever, but now is the time for me to start a new chapter. Thank you also to the fans for all the support and I wish everyone associated with the club all the best for the future.”