Stephen Parry appointed as Head Coach of Manchester Originals women

Stephen Parry, the former Lancashire and England left-arm spinner, has been appointed as the Head Coach of Manchester Originals' women's team.

Parry, who was born and raised in Manchester, played 249 times for Lancashire and is the county's all-time leading wicket-taker in men's T20 cricket, with 118 at 24.88 including a best of 5 for 13 against Worcestershire in 2016.

He played a total of seven white-ball matches for England - comprising two ODIs and five T20Is, including three appearances at the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh - and since retiring in 2020, Parry has been coaching both with Lancashire's women team and as an assistant coach to Paul Shaw with the Manchester Originals.

"I'm extremely grateful for the role I've been given as the new Head Coach for Manchester Originals women's team," Parry said. "The growth of the women's game is revolutionary and, being a proud Mancunian myself, it is an honour to be a part of this team.

"I'm very much looking forward to the tournament and all that we can achieve and I'm sure we will have the whole city behind us."

Manchester Originals General Manager Lee Morgan added: "It's great for Stephen to be given the opportunity and support to step up to be Head Coach after working closely with Paul Shaw for the last two seasons of the Hundred, where he's shown himself to be creative and flexible with a great cricket brain.

"Paul's decision to step down is leaving a significant void behind but as a young, hungry and aspiring coach, we see Stephen as an exciting appointment. He is very popular with the group and already understands the wider ambitions of the Originals and what we want to achieve both on and off the field.

"The Manchester Originals Board and Management consulted at length about this appointment, but despite Parry's relative inexperience as a coach they decided to give him the opportunity to start to fulfil his undoubted potential. Other determining factors were establishing continuity in the coaching structure, maintaining strong local links with Manchester and what it stands for, and rewarding someone with real drive and ambition to succeed.

"Everyone involved with the Originals would like to thank Paul Shaw for all his efforts over the last two years in developing the team along with his wider support in all our initiatives. We wish him well in his continuing work with Lancashire cricket."

Outgoing Originals coach, Shaw, added: "It's been a great privilege to have worked with such a forward-thinking franchise as the Manchester Originals. I think Stephen Parry is a great appointment and would like to wish him and the team every success in the future. I have no doubt of the impact he will have with the Manchester Originals".