Steven Croft signs T20 playing deal with Lancashire

Former Lancashire captain Steven Croft has signed a T20-only playing deal for 2024 and will move on to the club's coaching staff full time.

Croft, 39, will embark on a 21st season as a player while continuing his transition into a coaching career, having been part of the staff for last season's One-Day Cup.

He has also officially retired first-class and List A cricket, bringing down the curtain on a red-ball career that included hitting the runs to secure Lancashire the County Championship title in 2011. In 212 first-class matches, Croft scored almost 10,000 runs, while adding another 4800 in one-day cricket.

"This is something that has been an ambition of mine for a while, when I started to think about my post playing career, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to start my coaching career with Lancashire - a club which has given me and my family so much over the last 20 years," Croft said.

"The timing feels right to call time on playing first-class and List A cricket, especially with the number of talented players we have in contention for places, but I will also be ready and looking forward to helping the team in T20 cricket again next season.

"I have some amazing memories from my playing career - topped by winning the County Championship in 2011 - and it was an honour to captain the Red Rose for a couple of seasons too."

Croft, club captain between 2016 and 2018, also led Lancashire to the T20 Blast title in 2015 and most recently helped the club to Finals Day in 2022. He has scored more than 5000 runs in the format, to go with 78 wickets.

Lancashire director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: "Steven has been a wonderful servant to Lancashire Cricket for over 20 years now and we are delighted that will continue, albeit in a different capacity, as he moves into a coaching role with the club.

"This is something that Steven has been working towards for a while and he has coached with our Academy and age group players in recent years before joining the coaching staff during this summer's Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

"He will also continue to be available in T20 cricket next season and I know that he will be keen to continue contributing towards wins as a player."