Pringle: Even great plans need a bit of luck

LANCASHIRE’S new head coach Glen Chapple has been backed to make the team winners.

Chapple, the former Lancashire captain, has stepped in to the role vacated by Ashley Giles with former team mate Mark Chilton as his assistant.

The 42-year-old former all-rounder spent the majority of the 2014 season as player-coach when Peter Moores left to take charge of England, and was firstteam coach under Giles who left at the end of the 2016 season.

And Red Rose chairman Michael Cairns has no doubt that they can deliver success.

He said:“It is very rewarding to recognise and develop from within, and create a model of aspiration for the wider club, especially for the younger players coming through into the first team.

“Their love and pride in the club is matched by their accomplishments and achievements as players, captains and coaches.

“We are confident in Glen’s vision to make this team a consistent winner and we will all continue to work together to achieve our ultimate goal – bringing success to this great club and county.”

Chapple has been with Lancashire for his whole career, taking 1,373 wickets and scoring 11,088 runs in all formats during his playing days.

The highlight of his captaincy came in 2011, when he led the team to their first outright County Championship title in 77 years.

Chapple is honoured to have been handed the role and he said:“Having grown up as a Lancashire player, and played and coached for over 20 years for the club, I am incredibly honoured by this opportunity.

“Collectively, Mark and I are committed to delivering a team that the whole club, the members, the supporters and the county of Lancashire can be proud of.

“We have an incredibly talented and young group of players at Old Trafford, and we are hugely excited about the coming season and the years ahead, and what we believe we can achieve.”