While studying at Bristol, he was selected to tour South Africa with the British Universities cricket team in the winter of 1999.
Hamblin featured infrequently for Hampshire in first-class cricket, making eleven appearances to 2003.
[2] Playing as an all-rounder for Hampshire, he scored 440 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 27.50, with three half centuries.
[4] His best first-class batting and bowling performances came in the same match against Derbyshire in the 2003 County Championship, when he scored 96 and took figures of 6 for 93.
In this match, he became Hampshire's first man-of-the-match in Twenty20 cricket, scoring a 27-ball 34 at the top of the order and sharing in an opening partnership of 66 with Derek Kenway.