Lancashire call up Chilton the coach

By Graham Hardcastle

ancashire are employing their former captain and batsman Mark Chilton as a temporary coach. Chilton, who retired on the back of helping the club end their 77-year wait for an LV= County Championship title last season, is currently on the full-time staff at Manchester Grammar School.

But, with the summer holidays in full flow, the club have drafted him in to help batsman at all levels, including his former first XI team-mates, and has been involved in the warm-ups prior to the odd day of their most recent Championship matches against Somerset at Liverpool and Worcestershire at New Road.

“He's the director of cricket at Manchester Grammar, so it's a great resource for us,” explained head coach Peter Moores, whose side are enjoying a Jekyll and Hyde season having reached the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals even though they are staring down the barrel of relegation in the Championship.
 
“We employ him on a part-time basis, so he comes in and does a bit with the first-team and the under 17s working with John Stanworth (academy director). He can go across all the squads, including the first team, and impart some of his vast experience.

“From being recently out of the game, it puts him in a really good place to transfer knowledge - not just with players down the chain at 15, 16 and 17, but also in the first team. Having not seen players for a while, he has a fresh view and will give a slightly different perspective on it to those of us who have been here all season.”

A former pupil at Manchester Grammar School, Chilton was a valuable resource to his two predecessors as captain, Stuart Law and Glen Chapple. He even led the side in the Championship when Chapple was not fit last season. It is no surprise that he has entered the world of coaching.

“He's got real potential,” added Moores. “He's doing his level four badge (the highest level) with the ECB at the moment, and he's a pretty insightful bloke is Mark. I think he's a good bloke for us to keep involved.”


Date: 22/08/2012 18:13:00 by Graham Hardcastle
In: Today | Lancashire |