Hampshire County Cricket Club begun on Hampshire's long-awaited new ground. The realisation of this move almost led the club to financial ruin, as encouragement from financial partners Sport England and the hiring of architect Sir Michael Hopkins had led the then part-time voluntary committee running the club to lose control of the budget. In 2000 Australian great Shane Warne was signed as the club's overseas player. The 2000 County Championship was to be the last season that Hampshire would play at the County Ground Southampton before they moved in 2001 to the new Rose Bowl ground just outside Southampton. 2001 also saw current club
Shane Warne the second innings in the third Test, and took the final wicket of Monty Panesar as Australia regained the Ashes. On 21 December 2006 Warne announced his retirement, which came into effect after the fifth Ashes Test match at the SCG. Warne said that it was his intention to "go out on top", adding that he might have retired after the 2005 Ashes series, had Australia won. In his second-last Test, he took his 700th Test wicket at 3.18 pm on 26 December 2006 (AEST) by bowling English batsman Andrew Strauss out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in what was