LANCASHIRE Cricket has confirmed several new appointments after restructuring its 'Elite Cricket Department'.

Former Golborne CC skipper, Chris Benbow, Second XI Head Coach since 2016, has been appointed Head of Talent Pathway with the overall responsibility of nurturing the next generation of Lancashire Cricketers coming through the Club’s Academy.

Benbow has a long affinity with the Red Rose having previously worked as First Team Analyst and support coach before overseeing title success in the Championship and T20 competitions with Lancashire’s Second XI in 2018.

Farnworth-born Karl Krikken, previously Lancashire Cricket’s Performance Manager and former Director of Cricket at Derbyshire, will replace Benbow as Second XI Head Coach ahead of the 2021 season.

Benbow and Krikken will work closely with Performance Director Mark Chilton to establish an informative link to Head Coach Glen Chapple on the suitability of players for the Lancashire First Team.

In addition to this, former Lancashire batsman and long-serving backroom staff coach, Stephen Titchard, has now been appointed as the Club’s Age Group Performance Manager for ages 13 to 15.

Earlier this month, Lancashire Cricket also confirmed that Graham Onions has been appointed as Specialist Bowling Coach, following his retirement as a player.

Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Paul Allott, said: “I’m really pleased to be able to confirm a number of appointments within the Club’s elite cricket department.

“Chris Benbow will take over Gary Yates’ responsibilities within the Academy remit, and we’re hugely fortunate to have Karl Krikken who’s been involved with us for a couple of years to take a lead as Second XI Head Coach, whilst Stephen Titchard will continue to work with some of our young age-group players.

“Lancashire has a proud tradition of producing home-grown players and this structure will allow us to continue this in the coming years.”

In November Paul Shaw’s appointment as Women’s Head Coach, working across Lancashire Women, the Thunder and Manchester Originals was announced leading to several additional coaching appointments to the female set-up.

Craig White, ex Yorkshire and England all-rounder, has joined Shaw’s coaching staff as an Assistant Coach along with Fielding Coach, Cookie Patel, who also spent time with the squad during last summer’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. Patel has previously worked with Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and in the England Women’s set-up.

Former Lancashire and England spin bowler Stephen Parry has been working with the squad during their winter training programme as a Specialist Spin Bowling Coach offering training and advice to the squad’s spinners such as Alex Hartley, Hannah Jones and Liberty Heap.

A new key role in the structure across the North West has been created as part of the ECB’s strategy, with Jen Barden appointed as Senior Regional Talent Manager. Barden will lead on the delivery of the Thunder Academy programme and work with Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria to support their women and girls programmes, ensuring alignment to the ECB Talent Development Framework. The Women’s and Girls’ Age Group programme will now come under Chris Highton, Women’s and Girls Performance Coach.

David Thorley, Regional Performance Director of Women’s Cricket for the North West, added: “It’s exciting that we are starting to make progress building on top of the great foundations in place in the pathway and these appointments will help us to deliver excellent coaching from elite level right across the pathway. It’s vital that we invest in County Age Group cricket to help younger players develop and we can provide opportunities for players in the Lancashire set-up and potentially then into the Thunder Academy.”