Daryl Mitchell, a New Zealand all-rounder, and Colin De Grandhomme, a former New Zealand all-rounder, have signed contracts with Lancashire for the duration of the T20 tournament as well as certain county games.
Interestingly, Dane Vilas of South Africa, who has been a critical part in the Lancashire side, stepped down from leadership but still serves the club.
Mark Chilton, Director of Cricket Performance, talked about the county side’s two new acquisitions. “We are incredibly delighted to welcome both Daryl and Colin to our roster and to be able to do so for such a substantial chunk of the 2023 season,” he stated.”
Chilton then discussed their significance and how they might be extremely useful during a demanding schedule in which they must play several consecutive matches. “The calendar, as it has been for the previous several years, continues to be incredibly demanding, especially in the middle of the summer across May, June, and July, owing to the quantity of cricket we are playing in a short time,” he said. With that in mind, we want to make sure we have adequate depth to cover for any eventuality, and Daryl and Colin give us with just that.”
He went on to discuss how long the pair would be available for Lancashire and how many matches they will play. “Colin will be with us from the outset against Surrey in the County Championship before Daryl joins us in mid-May,” Chilton said. The two will thereafter be available throughout our Vitality Blast campaign, providing us with many of alternatives for various matchups and circumstances alongside Dane Vilas.”
The addition of the New Zealand pair to the Lancashire team increases squad depth and may be extremely valuable over the demanding calendar. Their international tally presently stands at three. It would be intriguing to see what the two Kiwis bring to Lancashire and how they perform in the forthcoming county tenure.
