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
Australian cricket team in South Africa in 1993–94 looming. The match included instances of verbal abuse of South African batsmen by Australian bowlers. Fast bowler Merv Hughes was reported to the match referee Donald Carr for continued abuse of a number of batsmen and was fined 10% of his match fee by the referee. Hughes responded to taunts by South African spectators by "lunging at the offenders with his bat" in the uncovered player's tunnel and later received a suspended fine of A$4,000 from the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). Spin bowler Shane Warne confronted Andrew Hudson after taking his wicket in South Africa's second innings and had to