Lancashire have appointed Keaton Jennings as their new men’s captain after Dane Vilas decided to step down from the role he had held over the past four seasons.
Jennings, who signed a one-year contract extension to remain in Lancashire until at least the end of the 2025 season, averaged 1,233 goals and 72 goals against Somerset last year, scoring 318 in Division One. . Southport. His form led to a recall in the England Test, and he spent much of his time as a substitute outfielder in the 3-0 victory over Pakistan before Christmas.
He had previously captained the injured Vilas in his round of the London Cup last season, when Lancashire lost to Kent in the final.
Jennings said: “I am very proud and honored to be offered the opportunity to become the next captain of Lancashire, my home club since arriving at Emirates Old Trafford in 2018. “Since joining, I have realized how proud this club is of its history and the passion that all its members, fans, players and staff share for the Red Roses. I am very proud to lead and hope that we can make more history together.
“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank Dane for his dedication and for supporting each of us during his four seasons as captain. I’m sure he can still make use of his experience in the room.
Lancashire finished runners-up in all three of his major competitions for 2022, with Villas leading both of his campaigns in a blast, losing the last ball to Hampshire in the final and finishing next in the LV=Insurance Championship. Got points. The 37-year-old South African, who joined the club in 2017, will also play as one of Lancashire’s foreign players in 2023.
“After taking some time out during the winter and having conversations with senior management at the club, I have decided to stand down as captain of Lancashire,” Vilas said. “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead this great county for the past four seasons, but I feel that the time is now right to step back from the role and allow Keaton to build on the superb job which he started during last season’s One-Day Cup.”
Lancashire’s men’s head coach, Glen Chapple, added:
“Firstly, I would like to thank Dane for captaining the club with pride and dedication during the last four seasons. As a coaching team, we fully support his decision and feel it is a true testament to Dane’s character that he has made the selfless decision to step down with the team’s best interests at the forefront of his mind. We look forward to continuing to work with Dane as one of our senior players.
“I am delighted that Keaton has accepted our offer to become the new club captain and we are all confident that he will do an excellent job. Keaton proved his leadership skills in last summer’s One Day Cup final. He is fully respected from the dressing room and feels like a natural next step at the current stage of his career.
“Having spoken with Keaton, we know how proud he is to take on this role and we look forward to working more closely with him as we prepare.