Decisions on the future of the two coaches were made through the Originals board, which has been restructured to replicate its closer links with Lancashire from 2025. The county will become a majority shareholder in the Originals next season, when have exceeded 51%. participation through the ECB, with the 49% alternative prepared to be offered to a personal investor.
For this reason, Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket, has been responsible for monitoring the recruitment process for Parry’s successor as head women’s coach. James Sheridan, who sits on the Lancashire board, also replaced broadcaster Mark Chapman as Originals chairman, although Chapman will remain on the board.
Katich, the former Australia batsman, has coached Originals men since the inaugural Hundred season in 2021, and said he had “unfinished business” closer to agreeing to return in 2025. “I loved my time leading the Manchester Originals during the last three years and I’m already looking forward to next year,” said Katich.
The Originals were runners-up in the 2022 and 2023 Men’s Hundred seasons, losing close finals against Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles. But they failed to overcome the loss of the injured Jos Buttler this year, completing the closest and most profitable seventh among their eight matches with Phil Salt as stand-in captain.
“We were all disappointed with how this season went, particularly after coming as close as we did in 2022 and 2023,” Katich said. “I feel like we have unfinished business given the events of the last three editions of the Hundred and all of us at the Originals will make sure we get back on track next year… We are determined to win it for Manchester.”
Parry, meanwhile, has been replaced closer to her team, finishing sixth in the Women’s Hundred this season. The Originals are the only women’s body to have not already reached knockout levels in any of the first 4 editions of the event and hope to nominate “a world-leading women’s short format head coach” for 2025 and beyond.
“Stephen leaves us our thanks and best wishes,” Sheridan said. “She joined us with our thinly-strength women’s team and is still finding her place at this level of cricket… We are in a much better place after two years with Stephen at the helm.”
The selection procedure for Parry’s successor, which Chilton will be in charge of, will begin in an instant. “Our aim now is to recruit a world-leading women’s short format head coach, and we are very excited to see where this group of players can take Manchester Originals next year and beyond,” said Chilton.
