Glen Chapple concludes 31-year affiliation by stepping down as Lancashire's head coach

After an unbroken 31-year association with Lancashire, Glen Chapple is set to bid farewell to his role as the club's head coach this week following the conclusion of their ongoing contest against Kent. Chapple, a seasoned figure in the world of cricket, has been at the helm for the past seven seasons, with a notable stint as first-team coach under Ashley Giles in 2015 and 2016. He also took the reins as acting head coach in 2014, filling the void left by Peter Moores' departure for the England job.

During his tenure as Lancashire's head coach, he steered the club to commendable second-place finishes in Division One of the County Championship on three occasions. Additionally, his leadership saw Lancashire reach T20 Finals Day thrice. Yet, despite their sustained excellence, the ultimate glory of lifting a championship title remained elusive, with last year's heart-stopping one-run defeat to Hampshire coming agonisingly close.

As the 49-year-old prepares to step down, the spotlight turns to potential successors from within the Lancashire ranks, with Carl Crowe and Graham Onions emerging as prominent internal candidates. Mark Chilton, Lancashire's director of cricket performance, expressed his gratitude for Chapple's unwavering dedication, stating,

"Glen has been an incredible servant to Lancashire Cricket over the past 30 years - as a player, captain and most recently as head coach - and on behalf of the club, I'd like to thank him for everything he's achieved. He will go down as a legend of the club from what he achieved during his playing career and has overseen a sustained period of success over the last seven years as head coach,” Mark said as quoted by ESPNcricInfo.

Chapple’s cricketing journey over the years

The former England bowler's journey with Lancashire extends beyond his coaching tenure, as he previously served as a player-coach in the latter stages of his illustrious playing career. His contributions on the field are etched in cricketing history, having notched up an impressive 1373 wickets in 664 appearances for Lancashire across all formats. Furthermore, he captained the side to a County Championship title in 2011, ending a 77-year drought.

A cricketing stalwart, Chapple was a key figure in the Lancashire team's golden era, which clinched an astounding nine one-day trophies between 1989 and 1999. His finest moment during that period came at the hallowed Lord's Cricket Ground in 1996, during the final of the NatWest Trophy. He delivered a spellbinding performance, returning figures of 6 for 18 to dismantle Essex, restricting them to a paltry 57 runs. However, despite his remarkable exploits, Chapple's international recognition was limited, as he earned just a solitary ODI cap against Ireland in 2006 at the age of 32.