Lancashire County Cricket Club sacked Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton and Director of Women’s Cricket David Thorley on 21 September 2026. The club ended their roles at Emirates Old Trafford as part of an immediate performance set-up restructure.
Severe on-field decline across both men’s and women’s cricket teams during the 2026 season forced club executives to make immediate management changes. Chief Executive Daniel Gidney announced the double departure after both teams suffered poor campaigns in domestic competitions.
Lancashire director of cricket performance Mark Chilton will be leaving the club after more than two decades with the county.#bbccricket https://t.co/TYA76uIHRv
— BBC Lancs Cricket (@BBCLancsCricket) September 21, 2026
Chief Executive Confirms Performance Restructure
Chief Executive Daniel Gidney released an official statement on the Lancashire Cricket website explaining the restructuring decision. Gidney called the choice to remove Chilton and Thorley an incredibly tough decision for the leadership team. However, Gidney insisted that the board considers a complete performance restructure necessary to move the club forward.
Lancashire Cricket can confirm that, as part of a restructuring of the performance set-up, Mark Chilton and David Thorley will be leaving the Club.
Read more: https://t.co/f3FgyOcWZV
🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/yS5vZOnAZb
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) September 21, 2026
Gidney stated that everyone at Old Trafford shares a common ambition to win matches, advance in tournaments, and secure trophies. For the men’s team, Gidney declared that County Championship success sits at the very heart of the club’s cricket vision. For Lancashire Women, Gidney explained that the club expects the team to challenge consistently for major domestic honours.
Gidney expressed sincere gratitude to Chilton for his long-standing commitment to the Red Rose. Gidney also thanked Thorley for guiding the women’s team through a transformational era.
Men’s Team Suffers Record Championship Low
The Lancashire men’s side endured a weak campaign in the 2026 county season. Lancashire currently sit seventh in County Championship Division Two. The team has just one more game to play in the 2026 fixture schedule.
If the final round of results go against them Lancashire could find themselves at the foot of Division Two. If it happens, it would be Lancashire’s lowest ever finish in the County Championship. The team hasn’t maintained the high standards throughout the summer and it’s been a downhill slide on the pitch since.
Mark Chilton Ends Two-Decade Association
Mark Chilton leaves Emirates Old Trafford after building a relationship with Lancashire Cricket that spans more than twenty years. Chilton played almost 200 first-class matches for the Red Rose between 1997 and 2011. He also made 237 white-ball appearances for Lancashire during his playing career.
Chilton captained the Lancashire senior men’s team for three seasons from 2005 to 2007. He played a significant role on the field when Lancashire won the County Championship title in 2011. Chilton returned to the club in 2014 to join the coaching staff.
Lancashire appointed Chilton as Director of Cricket Performance in 2021. Chilton managed the performance operations for five years before the club terminated his role on 21 September 2026.
David Thorley Departs Following Women’s Team Collapse
Lancashire also removed David Thorley from his position as Director of Women’s Cricket. Thorley began leading Lancashire Women in January 2020. He managed the team through the original regional structure and oversaw the shift into a fully professional county framework prior to the 2025 season.
Under Thorley’s direction in 2025, Lancashire Women won both the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and the Vitality T20 County Cup. However, the women’s team experienced a steep drop in performance during the 2026 season.
Lancashire Women finished bottom of the T20 Blast table in 2026. The team also failed to reach the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup.
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