Simon Katich Secures Extension with Manchester Originals; Stephen Parry Departs Women's Team

Simon Katich has been granted a one-year contract extension by Manchester Originals, following a challenging season for the men's team that saw only a single victory. Despite this, the former Australian cricketer will continue to lead the team into the 2025 season, while Stephen Parry has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the women's team after two years.

The Manchester Originals board, which has undergone restructuring to strengthen ties with Lancashire, made the decision regarding the coaching staff. Lancashire is set to become the majority shareholder of the Originals from the next season, taking a 51% stake from the ECB, with the remaining 49% to be sold to a private investor.

Mark Chilton, Lancashire's director of cricket, has been tasked with leading the search for Parry's replacement, aiming to appoint a "world-leading women's short-format head coach." James Sheridan, a member of Lancashire's board, has replaced Mark Chapman as the chair of the Originals, though Chapman will continue to serve on the board.

Katich, who has been with the Originals since the inception of the Hundred in 2021, expressed his eagerness to return, stating he has "unfinished business" and is looking forward to the upcoming season. The Originals men's team was a runner-up in the 2022 and 2023 seasons but struggled this year due to the absence of the injured Jos Buttler, finishing seventh with only one win out of eight matches.

Parry's departure follows a sixth-place finish for the women's team in this season's Hundred. The Originals women's team has yet to reach the knockout stages in any of the tournament's four editions, and the organization is now seeking a high-profile coach to lead the team into 2025 and beyond.

The announcements come ahead of the first-round bids deadline in the ECB's sale process for the Hundred, with Lancashire actively seeking a "sporting partner" to co-own the Originals. Daniel Gidney, Lancashire's CEO, has expressed interest in partnering with an IPL team, indicating a potential shift in the team's ownership structure for the 2025 season.