However, on 3 October 2016 Hampshire were given a reprieve as Durham were relegated to Division Two after taking up a financial package from the ECB to help with their finances, with their relegation and a points deduction being the fine for taking this agreement. Coach Dale Benkenstein departed as coach for 'Personal Reasons' in mid-July and was replaced by Craig White originally in a caretaker role, before taking over as full-time first team coach in November. At the end of the season, long serving seamer James Tomlinson retired having been with Hampshire since 2002 and making over 150 appearances in all formats for Hampshire. The Winter of 2017 saw Hampshire draw criticism over the signings of Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw on Kolpak deals, with these players giving up international cricket to represent Hampshire. On the field Hampshire again had a mixed season in first class cricket, avoiding relegation for the 3rd season in a row by drawing against already relegated Warwickshire meaning relegation for Middlesex, with Kolpak Abbott taking 60 wickets across the First-class season. In List A cricket Hampshire again missed out on the knockout stages. However Hampshire performed better in Twenty20 cricket, qualifying for their 7th Finals Day in 8 years, although they lost in the Semi-final to eventual winners Nottinghamshire. They also recorded their highest Twenty20 score in their Quarter final victory over Derbyshire scoring 249–8, with Pakistan overseas player Shahid Afridi scoring a century. 2018 saw improved performances in first-class cricket as Hampshire secured their Division One status before the final day for the first time since promotion in 2014. Kolpak stars Kyle Abbott and Fidel Edwards both taking more than 50 wickets in the season but it was in List A cricket where Hampshire were most successful, winning the 2018 Royal London One-Day Cup, with a century in the final at Lord's by Rilee Rossouw. Hampshire though performed poorly in Twenty20 cricket finishing 2nd bottom of the South group. Overseas player Mujeeb Ur Rahman though became the first Afghan to play for Hampshire, and the first player to be born in the 21st century to play for Hampshire. Long time players Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine though retired at the end of the 2018 season having amassed more than 35,000 runs in all formats between them for Hampshire, while coach Craig White also departed after two seasons as head coach, and was replaced