Hero at Hants

THE cricket community has been hit hard by the death of one of the sport’s all-time greats.

But at Hampshire, there is particularly sadness following Shane Warne’s death at the age of just 52.

Warne has a stand named after him at the county’s Ageas Bowl and there will doubtless be further tributes planned for a man who captained the county and left his mark on everyone who met and played with him.

“He had a great connection with a lot of people at Hampshire,” says Giles White, a former teammate and now Hampshire’s director of cricket.

“He was a really, really generous man. He had time for everyone, he was just a lovely guy. There’s a massive amount of sadness around here right now. “When you had Shane on your side, you all felt a little bit taller. So many people were inspired by him.”

One of those was Jimmy Adams, former Hampshire captain and opener who broke into the team during Warne’s first season with the club in 2000.

“He was just a unique guy,” says Adams (raising the the trophy after the Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord’s in 2012). “There won’t be anyone in the same stratosphere as Warnie ever again. The influence he had on all us was just incredible. He was a true icon.”