John Turner joins Lancashire from Hampshire on short-term loan

John Turner, the Hampshire and England fast bowler, has joined Lancashire on a short-term loan for the next two Rothesay County Championship matches, as cover for the injured James Anderson and Saqib Mahmood.

Turner, who turned 24 on Thursday, is considered one of the most promising fast bowlers in the country, and last year made his England white-ball debut on the tour of West Indies in November, having been named in a number of squads since his breakthrough season in 2023.

However, his opportunities at first-class level have been limited to date, partially through injury and partially due to the established quality of Hampshire's pace attack, which continues to be led by Kyle Abbott, and had included Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas until his departure for Nottinghamshire this season.

Last week, Hampshire handed a Championship debut to another rising fast bowler, Sonny Baker, 22, who had impressed in his maiden first-class appearance for England Lions against Australia A in Sydney in January.

Turner himself has featured in five first-class matches to date, most recently in August 2024, in which he has claimed 14 wickets at 19.85. He will join Lancashire on an initial 14-day loan, covering the next two Championship fixtures including the visit of Northamptonshire on Friday.

"I haven't played a lot of first-class or red-ball cricket, particularly recently," Turner told Lancs TV. "It'll be a good opportunity to gain some experience, get a bit of a run out and contribute to Lancs winning some games hopefully, and just put some performances together."

At the club, Turner will also be re-united with Hampshire's former head coach, Dale Benkenstein, who has been in charge at Lancashire since 2023.

"He was my school coach in South Africa and he was the one who gave me the opportunity to come over to the UK," Turner said. "That was with Hampshire and now we reconnect at Lancs."

Mark Chilton, Lancashire's Director of Cricket Performance, said: "John is an exciting young bowler who is well regarded both domestically and by England at international level.

"With Jimmy (Anderson) recovering from injury and Saqib (Mahmood) sticking to an agreed plan ahead of his return to red-ball cricket, John's loan signing and immediate availability provides us with another bowling option for the next couple of matches in the Rothesay County Championship.

"We are looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our side, and we hope that he can get some valuable red ball playing time and enjoy his spell with us here at Emirates Old Trafford."