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
South African cricket team in Australia in 2008–09 by key retirements: Taylor and Healy in 1999; the Waughs in 2003; Warne and McGrath in 2007." Calls for Shane Warne's return to Test cricket, omnipresent since his retirement in 2007, were now accompanied by calls for him to be given the captaincy in the impending Ashes as well. Team selections: South Africa picked the same team for the third Test in a row. Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson were all omitted from the Australian team due to injury. Doug Bollinger and Andrew McDonald were included in the starting eleven, with Ben Hilfenhaus again being left out. Day