Head coach Benkenstein leaves struggling Lancashire

Lancashire person parted institution pinch men's caput coach Dale Benkenstein aft a winless first 2 months of nan County Championship season.

The South African, 50, leaves pinch Lancashire seventh successful Division Two, having been relegated from nan apical formation past season.

They are nan only nine successful either section not to person won a Championship crippled this summer.

"Following a difficult commencement to nan season, we consciousness now is nan correct clip to make a change, arsenic we look to amended our on-field performances," Lancashire's head of cricket capacity Mark Chilton said successful a nine statement., external

Former Red Rose batter Steven Croft has been named arsenic interim men's caput coach, assisted by Will Porterfield, Craig White and Karl Krikken.

Croft's first crippled will beryllium Lancashire's T20 Blast opener astatine location to Worcestershire Rapids astatine Emirates Old Trafford connected Thursday (18:30 BST).

Having vanished ninth successful Division One past season, nine-time champions Lancashire are playing second-tier cricket for nan first clip since 2019.

But they person had a miserable commencement which continued connected Sunday arsenic they were beaten by an innings and 3 runs wrong 3 days by Division Two leaders Leicestershire.

Defeat near nan Red Rose 73 points down nan East Midlands region astatine nan halfway constituent of nan Championship campaign.

The nonaccomplishment marked a 5th clip Lancashire person mislaid by an innings during Benkenstein's adjacent 18-month tenure.

In his last question and reply with BBC Radio Lancashire, external aft nan crippled astatine Grace Road, Benkenstein said location was a deficiency of clarity wrong nan nine astir whether nan privilege was winning aliases giving young players clip to develop.

However, he besides admitted location were glaring weaknesses wrong nan team.

And pinch expectations nan nine should beryllium challenging for contiguous promotion, arsenic has happened connected each juncture they person antecedently been relegated, Lancashire announced Benkenstein's departure connected Wednesday by "mutual consent".

"After relegation astatine nan extremity of past season, results person not improved truthful acold this twelvemonth and aft overmuch consideration, some Dale and I consciousness nan squad will use from a alteration successful direction," Chilton added.

Benkenstein had been a astonishment assignment to switch erstwhile caput coach and erstwhile Lancashire skipper Glen Chapple, who near nan nine astatine nan extremity of nan 2023 season.

In his 2 seasons arsenic caput coach of Gloucestershire, Benkenstein's broadside had vanished bottommost of Division One and past bottommost of Division Two.

He inherited a squad successful modulation upon taking complaint of Lancashire, who struggled to compete against nan apical counties past season.

However, they person fared small amended a section lower.

Just a fortnight ago, nan nine issued an apology to its members for really nan play had started and skipper Keaton Jennings resigned from his domiciled successful four-day cricket to beryllium replaced by Australia batter Marcus Harris.

But pursuing 2 much games without a triumph since, Croft - who only retired past summer aft almost 2 decades of playing for Lancashire - will now beryllium successful complaint successful nan meantime arsenic attraction shifts to white-ball cricket.