Dale Benkenstein has resigned as head coach of Lancashire. This announcement follows a tough start to the County Championship season for Surrey. The South African coach’s departure comes after a winless first two months, during which his team struggled significantly, finishing seventh in Division Two and trailing 73 points behind leaders Leicestershire at the season’s halfway point.
Benkenstein’s appointment as head coach raised eyebrows when he took over from Glen Chapple almost 18 months ago. He inherited a team in transition, as Lancashire had finished bottom of Division One under Chapple. With high hopes for a turnaround, the team’s performance was miserable under Benkenstein. This unwanted result forced their yo-yoing omission from the highest tier downwards final season.
During his previous coaching role at Gloucestershire, two seasons spent re-routing production under the industry’s radar, Benkenstein’s side encountered similar difficulties. They ended up bottom of Division One. Then, they bottomed out a second time in Division Two, leading to concerns about his coaching ability.
During his tenure at Lancashire, Benkenstein’s team lost five games by an innings, underscoring the difficulties faced on the field. The defeat to Leicestershire, a continuation of a series of disappointing results for the team, was the final straw that saw Lancashire sacking him.
At 50, Benkenstein has plenty of experience and maturity to provide on and off the field. The gauntlet thrown by his recent appointments have been many. With his departure from Lancashire, Steven Croft now assumes the role of interim men’s head coach. The rest of the team is now counting on him to put their fortunes right.
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