Sam Northeast has signed a three-year contract with Glamorgan, completing the 31-year-old batter's protracted departure from Hampshire.
Northeast signed a new contract with Hampshire at the start of the season but fell out with the club's management and subsequently embarked on loan spells with Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire as part of efforts to find a new county. Chances were limited, however, and he only managed one half-century in six innings (five first-class, one T20) between July and September.
Described by Mark Wallace, Glamorgan's director of cricket, as "one of the very best players in the county game", Northeast's arrival represents something of a coup. Glamorgan finished bottom of Division Two in the County Championship, winning just two four-day fixtures all season, but did claim their first silverware since 2004 by winning the Royal London Cup.
"Sam is one of the very best players in the county game and when we found out he was available we did everything we could to bring him to Wales," Wallace said. "Signing Sam is fantastic news for everyone associated the club and to attract a player of his quality is a good sign of the direction the club is heading in.
"He has a terrific record across all three formats and his versatility means he can bat in a number of different positions, while his experience will bring a lot to the changing room and help develop our younger players."
Northeast has been one of the most consistent run-scorers in county cricket since coming through with Kent more than a decade ago, although full England honours have continued to elude him. He was made club captain at Kent in 2015 before moving to Hampshire ahead of the 2018 season in an attempt to press his international ambitions.
At Hampshire, Northeast collected a Royal London Cup winner's medal, as well as captaining the club for extended periods during 2019 and 2020 in the absence of James Vince. He scored six first-class hundreds, averaging 36.92, but has been unable to add to a handful of Lions appearances made on the 2017-18 tour of the Caribbean.
"I'm extremely excited for the challenge ahead at Glamorgan," he said. "Next year is the perfect time to build on the Royal London Cup success the club achieved this summer.
"I still have a lot of ambition in the game and I believe Glamorgan share that with me. Speaking to Mark Wallace and Matt Maynard, I knew this was the right place for me to commit my future to. I am really looking forward to the next few years and the success we can have on the cricket pitch."