NORTHUMBERLAND County Cricket Club have appointed a new team manager, player-coach and captain as part of a radical restructure.
Tynedale’s Gary Cant has taken over the team manager’s role vacated at the end of last season by Bill Graham, while South Northumberland batsman Adam Cragg succeeds Marc Symington as captain.
Former Sussex and Durham all-rounder Nicky Phillips has also joined Northumberland in the newly-created post of player-coach.
Northumberland are still looking to appoint a professional for next season, although several candidates have already expressed an interest.
The new appointments are a response to a miserable 2011 season for Northumberland, during which the club win just one of their six three-day games and none of their one-dayers, finishing second-bottom of the Minor Counties’ Championship and bottom of their MCCA Trophy group.
Chairman Alan McKenna is confident the new faces will herald the start of a new era at the club.
He said: “Last season was one of the worst in our history and, as a club, we looked at every area of how we do things.
“With Bill [Graham] and Marc [Symington] having already decided to step down, it was an opportunity to have a major shake-up.
“We are delighted we have now filled the three roles that we identified.
“Gary Cant is a former captain of Tynedale when his club regularly won titles and trophies in the early 2000s.
“He has also managed the Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League side for the last four years.
“In Adam, we have appointed a captain who has been a regular for Northumberland over the last five years.
“At 23, we believe he is mature enough to take over the captain’s responsibilities from Marc, who will himself remain a key player for us.
“We also decided to bring in a player-coach to give us more direction on the field and Nicky Phillips was the ideal candidate.
“Nicky comes to us with plenty of experience of the first-class game, is a highly-qualified ECB coach and has been an outstanding performer for champions Swalwell in the Northumberland and Tyneside League in recent seasons.
“We are hopeful the new structure and appointments will help us draw a line under last season and build for the future.”
