For nearly eight years, James Vince and his family lived peacefully in a village near Hampshire’s cricket headquarters. That peace was broken three months ago when Vince, his wife, and their two young children were startled awake by breaking glass and alarms. Their home and cars were attacked unexpectedly.
The family relocated during repairs, which took a month. Shockingly, a week after returning, they faced another similar attack. Vince is perplexed by the incidents. He has discussed the situation with his wife, Amy, to ensure they are not the cause. The police, who were contacted immediately, found nothing unusual in bank statements or phone records. Despite support from Hampshire, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the Professional Cricketers’ Association, including intelligence firm investigations, no clear motive has emerged. The leading theory is mistaken identity.
“Experts suggest it might be related to money issues or unpaid debts,” Vince told Telegraph Sport. “We have nothing to hide and want this to stop.”
Vince, a former England batsman, went public in desperation for information. “If anyone knows or sees anything in the footage that could help, please contact us or Hampshire Police,” the 33-year-old said.
First Attack and Aftermath
The first attack happened in early April at around 3 am on a Monday. “We woke up to smashing and alarms. We were terrified and rushed to check on the kids,” Vince recalled. The attackers fled before the police arrived, with a neighbour only seeing a car speed away. The attackers used a metal bar to smash the windows of both cars and the house.
The family moved out during repairs and installation of security cameras and alarms but returned home only to face another attack. Both incidents occurred during Hampshire home matches.
Second Attack
“For the second attack, I was awake and quickly got downstairs,” Vince said. This time, the attackers used bricks. Vince noted they had returned home around 11:30 pm after a team dinner, and the attack happened around midnight. Security footage showed a man passing bricks over a wall to another man, who wore a hoodie with a Gym King logo and had his face covered.
After the second incident, the family hired local crime and security experts to monitor the property, but they still fear another attack. “We don’t want this to happen again. It’s unfair to my wife and children,” Vince said. “This situation has been disruptive, especially for our children. I’m proud of how they’ve handled it. We’ve received great local support and help from within cricket. Private security has found promising leads, but any additional information would be invaluable to end this ordeal.”