Gloucestershire appoint Dale Benkenstein as head trainer

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2021-11-30 16:33:29

Former Proteas batter and batting trainer returns to county cricket on a three-year deal

Gloucestershire have appointed Dale Benkenstein, the previous South Africa batter and batting trainer, as head trainer on a three-year contract.

Benkenstein, 47, could also be a former Durham captain who was once head trainer at Hampshire from 2014-16, serving to them to achieve two Energy Blast Finals Days and protected promotion again to the highest tier of the Championship in that point. He labored as Proteas batting trainer from 2017-19 and has additionally coached South African aspect Dolphins.

He joined Lancashire on a temporary contract as batting trainer previous this yr and, maximum just lately, Benkenstein was once head trainer at Mike Procter‘s former faculty, Hilton Faculty. He’s going to lead Gloucestershire no less than till the top of the 2024 season below a deal introduced on Tuesday.

“I’m having a look ahead to operating with a well-balanced squad of youngster and revel in and I think the membership as an entire have the substances to be persistently a success in all codecs,” Benkenstein stated. “It’s thrilling to be again keen on English county cricket the place I’ve many fond reminiscences.”

Benkenstein made 300 Record A and 264 top quality appearances right through his 20-year occupation, scoring 15,962 top quality runs and greater than 9,000 limited-overs runs.

Born in Zimbabwe, he started his occupation at Natal, in South Africa, and after being named captain on the age of twenty-two, took the aspect to four-day and one-day home titles. That ended in Benkenstein making his ODI debut for South Africa in opposition to England in 1998 and he went directly to play a complete of 23 ODIs.

He joined Durham in 2005 and captained them to their first primary trophy in 2007, defeating Hampshire within the ultimate of the Buddies Provident festival. He then led Durham to back-to-back Championship titles in 2008 and 2009, the primary within the membership’s historical past.

At Gloucestershire, Benkenstein will paintings along new efficiency director Steve Snell and assistant head trainer Ian Harvey, who stepped in as meantime head trainer remaining March when Richard Dawson joined the ECB as elite efficiency pathway trainer. Beneath Harvey, Gloucestershire gained 5 in their staff video games and 3 divisional video games, essentially the most fit wins for any aspect on this yr’s Championship.

Harvey stated: “It is been an enormous honour for me to steer the group this season and I am actually happy with what the squads have completed. Probably the most performances within the County Championship specifically were most sensible elegance and there is not any doubt those avid gamers have a brilliant long term forward.

“I have been following the recruitment procedure with passion and there is not any doubt that Dale is a smart signing and I am very excited to be operating with him; I knew him as a fierce competitor at the pitch and I am certain his taste and really extensive revel in will produce nice effects for our membership.”

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