Head coach Benkenstein leaves struggling Lancashire

Lancashire have parted company with men's head coach Dale Benkenstein after a winless first two months of the County Championship season.

The South African, 50, leaves with Lancashire seventh in Division Two, having been relegated from the top flight last season.

They are the only club in either division not to have won a Championship game this summer.

"Following a difficult start to the season, we feel now is the right time to make a change, as we look to improve our on-field performances," Lancashire's director of cricket performance Mark Chilton said in a club statement., external

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

Croft's first game will be Lancashire's T20 Blast opener at home to Worcestershire Rapids at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday (18:30 BST).

Having finished ninth in Division One last season, nine-time champions Lancashire are playing second-tier cricket for the first time since 2019.

But they have had a miserable start which continued on Sunday as they were beaten by an innings and three runs inside three days by Division Two leaders Leicestershire.

Defeat left the Red Rose 73 points behind the East Midlands county at the halfway point of the Championship campaign.

The loss marked a fifth time Lancashire have lost by an innings during Benkenstein's near 18-month tenure.

In his final interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, external after the game at Grace Road, Benkenstein said there was a lack of clarity within the club about whether the priority was winning or giving young players time to develop.

However, he also itted there were glaring weaknesses within the team.

And with expectations the club should be challenging for immediate promotion, as has happened on each occasion they have previously been relegated, Lancashire announced Benkenstein's departure on Wednesday by "mutual consent".

"After relegation at the end of last season, results have not improved so far this year and after much consideration, both Dale and I feel the team will benefit from a change in direction," Chilton added.

Benkenstein had been a surprise appointment to replace previous head coach and former Lancashire captain Glen Chapple, who left the club at the end of the 2023 season.

In his two seasons as head coach of Gloucestershire, Benkenstein's side had finished bottom of Division One and then bottom of Division Two.

He inherited a team in transition upon taking charge of Lancashire, who struggled to compete against the top counties last season.

However, they have fared little better a division lower.

Just a fortnight ago, the club issued an apology to its for how the season had started and captain Keaton Jennings resigned from his role in four-day cricket to be replaced by Australia batter Marcus Harris.

But following two more games without a win since, Croft - who only retired last summer after almost two decades of playing for Lancashire - will now be in charge in the meantime as focus shifts to white-ball cricket.