Giles extends Lancashire contract

Ashley Giles, Lancashire's head coach, has extended his contract with the county until 2018 following the double success of winning the NatWest T20 Blast and securing Championship promotion during his first summer.

Giles' assistants, Mark Chilton and Glen Chapple, have also signed new deals which run until 2018.

"I'm delighted that we've been offered the opportunity to commit our futures to the club until the end of 2018," Giles said. "I've thoroughly enjoyed my first 18 months at Lancashire and feel extremely lucky to have such a strong coaching team around me.

"We still have a lot of work to do with this young and exciting group of players and we all look forward to bringing future success to the club."

Chapple, 42, has not ruled out continuing his playing career if Lancashire's pace-bowling resources become stretched later in the season. He is 15 wickets away from 1000 first-class scalps.

"If we get to a stage where we lose Jimmy and we lose a few through injury and maybe loss of form creeps in, and we think I can help, that's when we will give it some thought," he told the Manchester Evening News.

Lancashire begin their County Championship campaign against Nottinghamshire on Sunday. The match will feature a head-to-head between England's new-ball attack of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.