Dave Houghton to leave role as Derbyshire head of cricket

Dave Houghton is to step down as Derbyshire's head of cricket at the end of the season. Houghton was in his third coaching spell at the club, having rejoined in 2018.

Houghton, 64, the former Zimbabwe captain and coach, was director of cricket at Derby between 2004 and 2007 and batting coach from 2011 to 2013, during which time Derbyshire were promoted to Division One of the Championship. He went on to take up similar roles at Somerset and Middlesex before heading back to Derbyshire after Kim Barnett stepped down from his consultancy role midway through 2018.

This season, Derbyshire have yet to win a game in the Championship, finished second from bottom in the North Group of the Vitality Blast and bottom of Group Two in the Royal London Cup.

"It has been a bitterly disappointing season, much of which, including injuries, has been out of Dave's control," Derbyshire's chairman, Ian Morgan OBE, said. "It is the mark of the man that he has taken responsibility for on-field performances. He leaves a squad which contains a number of young talented players who will develop their skills in the coming seasons.

"On behalf of the supervisory board, I would like to thank Dave for his integrity and commitment throughout his tenure and wish him the very best for the future."

Houghton said: "It has been a challenging season in many ways, and I believe it is the right time to step aside for both myself and the club. I hope to be leaving the club in a better position than when I took on the role in 2018 and with a good squad and a highly-promising pathway setup, I am confident that Derbyshire will enjoy success in the future."