Red Rose appoint Benky as new coach

He joins Red Rose from Gloucestershire where he has been head coach since November 2021. He also enjoyed a successful spell coaching Hampshire from 2014 to 2016.

Previous to being appointed at Gloucestershire, Benkenstein worked as a batting consultant at Old Trafford with Lancashire on a short-term basis.

During two-and-half seasons at Hampshire, Benkenstein led the club to promotion into Division One as champions in 2014 and to two Vitality Blast Finals Days appearances.

The 49-year-old is currently an assistant coach at Pretoria Capitals in the South Africa T20 and previously held this position with the men’s national team.

Throughout a long and successful playing career spanning 20 years, Benkenstein made 300 List A and 264 First-Class appearances, hitting more than 15,000 First-Class runs and close to 10,000 limited overs runs.

Benkenstein made his senior ODI debut for South Africa against England and went on to play in a further 22 matches for his country.

He signed for Durham in 2005 and skippered the side to their first major trophy in 2007, before leading the North-East outfit to successive County Championship titles in 2008 and 2009.

Benkenstein said: “I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to become head coach of Lancashire. It is a county with a proud history and tradition and it’s an exciting time to be joining the club."

“Lancashire is a county that I’ve always admired for doing things the right way and has always produced teams that are resilient and difficult to beat. It is a hugely talented group of players to work with and I am really excited to be part of that and to bring my own vision to Emirates Old Trafford.

“It’s a new challenge for me personally and one which I can’t wait to get stuck into. I am looking forward to meeting the players and staff in the new year and continuing the squad’s preparations ahead of the upcoming campaign.”

Director of Cricket Performance, Mark Chilton added: “We are delighted to secure Dale as our new men’s Head Coach. He joins us with a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I believe Dale is the right person to move us forward and into our next chapter.

“He is a fantastic fit for what we’re trying to achieve, has demonstrable leadership ability, a strong record of developing and nurturing young, talented players to fulfil their potential and has also been part of winning teams, particularly at Durham and Hampshire.

“I am looking forward to working with Dale and welcoming him to Emirates Old Trafford in the new year, as we continue to build on the foundations that have been laid in recent years with an exciting group of players.”