Clark to step aside at end of season

Wayne Clark, the Western Australia coach, will step down from the role at the end of the season after a total of ten years in charge. Clark has spent two stints in the position, which were broken by a couple of seasons at Yorkshire, and he joins Tony Dodemaide, the WACA chief executive, in leaving the Warriors over the next couple of months.

"There comes a time when every coach has run his race and I've decided that now is the time for me to move on," Clark, who played ten Tests in the 1970s, said. "I'm proud of what I've achieved and am confident that I can finish on a high this summer."

Western Australia, who are tied for third in the one-day tournament, lie fifth in the first-class competition and are eight points behind the leaders Queensland. Clark has guided the Warriors to two Sheffield Shield successes and three domestic one-day titles during his reign.

"His record in delivering trophies to the WACA is outstripped only by his record in developing players who have gone on to represent Australia," Dodemaide said. "During Wayne's tenure seven Western Australians have made their debut for Australia at Test or one-day international level, which is a fantastic achievement." A WACA spokesman said the search for a replacement would begin in the next few weeks.