Lancashire Sack Mark Chilton as On-Field Struggles Continue

Lancashire Cricket have parted ways with director of cricket performance Mark Chilton and director of women's cricket David Thorley as the club prepares for a major overhaul following a disappointing season.

The changes come after a difficult campaign for both Lancashire teams, with the men's side facing the prospect of finishing bottom of Division Two in the County Championship for the first time in the club's history.

Lancashire currently sit second-bottom of the Division Two table and could suffer a historic wooden spoon if they lose to Durham this week. Their season has also included an early exit from the T20 Blast and a heavy defeat in the One-Day Cup eliminator.

The women's team have also endured a challenging campaign. Lancashire finished bottom of their T20 Blast group and failed to reach the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

The club confirmed on Monday that Chilton and Thorley would leave their positions as part of a "restructuring of the performance set-up".

The departures mark the beginning of a significant period of change at Emirates Old Trafford. Long-serving chief executive Daniel Gidney is also set to leave the club, with Richard Kenyon, a lifelong Lancashire supporter, appointed as his successor after his time at Nottinghamshire.

Chilton has enjoyed a long association with Lancashire. He captained the club between 2005 and 2007 and was part of the side that won the County Championship in 2011, his final season as a player.

He returned to Lancashire three years later in a coaching role before becoming director of cricket performance in 2021. However, the men's team's results have declined significantly in recent seasons.

Thorley has led Lancashire's women's programme for the past six years, initially working with North-West Thunder as part of the ECB's regional structure. His previous roles have included positions with the International Cricket Council and England Boxing.

Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney said the restructuring was necessary to help the club move forward.

"Decisions like this are always incredibly tough to make, but we believe a restructure of the performance set-up is necessary to move the club forward," Gidney said.

He added that the club's ambition remained to see both Lancashire teams compete successfully for trophies, with the County Championship central to the men's programme and major honours the target for the women's side.

Gidney also thanked Chilton and Thorley for their contributions to Lancashire Cricket and wished both men well for the future.

With changes already taking place in the club's senior leadership, Lancashire now face a crucial winter as they look to rebuild their cricketing structure and reverse a worrying decline in results.