Richard Kenyon to lead Lancashire performance review after difficult season

Lancashire's incoming chief executive Richard Kenyon will lead a review of the club's cricket operation, BBC Sport reported on Sunday. He takes over from Daniel Gidney on October 5, with an assessment of the performance structure among his responsibilities following a difficult season for the men's teams.

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The review will cover staff and player contracts, resources and the route from the academy into first-team cricket. It follows a restructure that confirmed the departures of director of cricket performance Mark Chilton and director of women's cricket David Thorley. The assessment is therefore broader than results alone, extending to how Lancashire organise and support their players.

BBC Sport reported that Lancashire finished second-bottom in County Championship Division Two, bottom of their T20 Blast table and outside the One-Day Cup knockout places. Chair Dame Sarah Storey said the club needed an objective assessment of changes required to improve performance, particularly on the men's side, guided by its recently published Cricket Vision.

Kenyon arrives from Nottinghamshire, where he has served as chief executive. Lancashire's announcement of his appointment highlighted experience across professional sport and charitable work, including senior positions at Everton. He was the football club's chief commercial and communications officer and also led Everton in the Community. During more than a decade at Everton, he helped deliver the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

The appointment announcement also described Kenyon as a Lancashire supporter living in Southport, with a connection to the county dating back to the 1980s. He recalled watching Lancashire play West Indies at Southport and Birkdale in 1984 and attending matches at Old Trafford with family and friends. Kenyon said the new board's ambitions had influenced his decision to join and identified restoring Lancashire's competitiveness as a priority.

Storey said the recruitment process had considered a strong field before selecting Kenyon, citing both his leadership background and existing connection with the club. His arrival marks a change after Gidney's 14 years at Lancashire, with the performance review now added to the incoming chief executive's agenda.