THREE of Hampshire Cricket’s top stars have signed new contracts.

Club captain Jimmy Adams, James Tomlinson and Danny Briggs have all penned new deals keeping them at the Ageas Bowl until the end of the 2016 season.

The contracts of all three players were due to expire at the end of next summer, but the trio have now committed to the LV= County Championship Division Two champions for the foreseeable future.

Adams, 34, who made his debut for the club in 2002, enjoyed another excellent season with the bat in 2014, hitting over 1,000 runs in the Championship alongside finishing the NatWest T20 Blast campaign as Hampshire’s leading runs-scorer.

In addition to this, Winchester-born Adams reached 10,000 First-Class runs in his career and captained the county to the Division Two title for the first time in their history.

Adams said: “I’m very happy – 2014 was a fantastic year for the team and for myself so it’s fantastic that I have extended my stay.

“I’ve now got to make sure I put the same amount of effort in over the winter to make sure we have another successful season.

“As long as I feel like I’m contributing to the team, I’d like to stay at Hampshire for as long as possible.”

For the second consecutive season, left-arm fast-bowler Tomlinson finished as Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker in the Championship with 47 dismissals.

The 32-year old, who like Adams made his debut for the county in 2002, finished as the club’s joint leading wicket-taker in the Royal London One-Day Cup this year with nine wickets and subsequently shared Hampshire’s joint Bowler of the Year Award with fellow seamer Matt Coles.

Tomlinson said: “I’m delighted to have signed a new deal at Hampshire – it really is an exciting time to be at the club and we’re all looking forward to the big challenge we are going to face next season.”

Spinner Briggs once again showed in 2014 why he is one of the best T20 bowlers in the country, finishing as the joint-third leading wicket taker in the NatWest T20 Blast,with 21 wickets.

The 23-year old also enjoyed an impressive spell in the Championship, taking 27 wickets in eight matches at an average of 26.

Briggs said: “I’m really pleased to have signed a new deal and hopefully I can continue to contribute to the team and help us win games.

“I was happy with how I played this year so it’s nice to get rewarded for that and we’re all really looking forward to what will be a big season for the club in 2015.” Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: “It's great to have key players committing to the club. “All three have come up through the system and all show a genuine passion when representing the county.

“There is a nice balance to the squad, a good blend of experience and young talent, and it's encouraging that the core of the group are here for the long term.”