Mott is favourite to be new white-ball coach
Australian set to edge Collingwood for job Anderson dismisses Root but Yorkshire hold out for draw
Matthew Mott has emerged as the favourite to become England’s new white-ball head coach, with the Australian believed to have edged ahead of Paul Collingwood as the leading contender.
The Australia women’s head coach has overseen a dominant era for the side – including winning 26 consecutive one-day internationals, a record in either the men’s or women’s game. He is known to have a good rapport with Brendon Mccullum, who was unveiled as new England Test coach last week. When he was previously playing for New Zealand, Mccullum recommended Mott for the head coach job there.
England have identified the relationship between the red and whiteball head coaches as crucial for the long-term health of the side across all three formats. The only previous occasion that England used separate head coaches – from 2012 to 2014 – there were tensions between Andy Flower and Ashley Giles, and regular debates over player availability.
Though Collingwood, or an outside candidate, could yet take up the post, Mott is the front-runner, having impressed during the interview process. His philosophy of individual responsibility and aggression chimes with the beliefs of Mccullum and Rob Key, England’s managing director. The identity of the new white-ball head coach is expected to be confirmed this week.
“The single most used excuse is, I just didn’t know my role and I wasn’t clear on my role,” Mott said last year. “So we’re trying to get ahead of that and navigate that and be crystal clear on each person’s role in that team and they sign off on it, so they’re informed about their role and are actually accountable.”
Under his leadership, Australia women have won consecutive Twenty20 World Cups, this year’s ODI World Cup and are undefeated in four Ashes series.
Before taking up his current post in 2015, Mott worked as head coach of New South Wales – leading them to victory in the Champions League T20 tournament in 2009 – and then coached Glamorgan, reaching the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2013, before working as a consultant for Ireland at the 2015 World Cup.
If he is appointed, it would mean that neither of the head coach roles are filled by Englishmen. However, Collingwood is likely to have the chance to remain prominently involved in the national set-up. Key has said that he will aim to develop more opportunities for English coaches, with Mark Alleyne a strong contender for an assistant coach role with the white-ball side.
In the County Championship, James Anderson bowled England team-mate Joe Root for four, but Yorkshire held on to thwart Lancashire’s bid for a first victory at Headingley in the competition since 2011. Following on, Yorkshire started their second innings on day four 187 runs behind with a minimum of 85 overs remaining.
Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan and Root fell – the latter two to Anderson – as Yorkshire tumbled to 45 for three, but Harry Brook made an unbeaten 82, helping the hosts reach 169 for six to seal the draw.
Matthew Potts enhanced his England credentials by claiming a career-best seven-wicket haul and inspiring Durham to a dramatic 58-run victory over Glamorgan.
Glamorgan started requiring 126 to win with seven wickets intact but Potts was in breathtaking form as he ended the innings with figures of seven for 40 and match figures of 11 for 101 as Durham registered their first win of the season.
Division One leaders Surrey’s
hopes of victory were ruined by rain with just 9.2 overs possible against Kent, who were 327 runs behind Surrey’s first innings score of 671 for nine when play was abandoned.
Sam Robson’s second successive century, combined with a downpour, denied Nottinghamshire top spot in Division Two as Middlesex
salvaged a draw at Lord’s. Robson’s 101 not out, supported by a gritty unbeaten 18 from Max Holden, thwarted Nottinghamshire’s bowlers as they pressed for victory.