Graham Onions has decided to end his six-year tenure at Lancashire and return to his native club of Durham as head bowling coach.
Throughout his more than 250 appearances for Durham in all competitions between 2004 and 2017, Onions was a major contributor to the team’s heyday, winning three County Championships in a row between 2008 and 2013 as well as the One-Day Cup in 2014.
After that, he relocated to Lancashire to finish his career, where he assisted them in winning the Division Two championship in 2019 before retiring in 2020 and taking on the position of bowling coach.
Over his career, he took 527 first-class wickets for Durham, only surpassed by Chris Rushworth, and a further 104 wickets at 20.73 from 23 appearances for Lancashire. In nine Test matches for England from 2009 to 2012, he took 32 wickets at an average of 29.90.
“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to come back to the county where it all started as a player,” Onions stated. Working with such a gifted group of athletes and having the chance to hone my coaching skills under some inspiring mentors excites me much.
“I have had a great time playing and, most recently, coaching bowling at Lancashire. I will always be appreciative of the six years I had at Emirates Old Trafford, but the time has come for me to return to the North East so I can spend more time with my family.”
“His 14-year playing career at Durham and understanding of our club’s culture and the North East cricketing landscape is a huge advantage in his arrival back to Durham,” stated Marcus North, director of cricket at Durham.
Durham has a talented bowling team, and we think this hire will be essential to the growth and success of this group. Alongside Nathan Rimmington, Graham will take the lead in managing our pathway talent.”
