Durham Appoint Franklin As Head Coach

James Franklin has been appointed the new head coach of Durham after signing a two-year contract at the Riverside.

The 38-year-old former New Zealand all-rounder will take over next month after being drafted in to replace the outgoing Jon Lewis, who departed after 21 years with the county following a review into the cricket operations at the end of the 2018 season.

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Franklin, who will be assisted by former Durham players Neil Killeen and Alan Walker after they agreed deals with the County Championship Division Two outfit, said on the club’s website: “I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to lead coaching at Durham. “I can’t wait to join up with the squad and staff.”

He added: “There’s no doubt it’s been a challenging couple of years for Durham. “But now it’s about moving forward, making progress both on and off the field and once again striving to make Durham one of the powers of the English domestic competition.”

“Following an extensive recruitment process, it became clear that James was by far the best fit,” director of cricket Marcus North said. “I’m extremely excited for James’ arrival and look forward to working with him.”