Glamorgan Cricket today confirmed that John Derrick has been appointed Club Coach with full responsibility for coaching at the Club.

Derrick, 38, has been invited to take on the role for the next two years. Previously Assistant Coach for a number of years looking after the Second XI, he did fill in with the First XI in both 1996 and 1998. It has also been agreed that for the 2002 season Adrian Shaw will combine a playing role with that of captaining the Second XI when not required at first team level.

Although he will spend the majority of his time working alongside the Captain, Steve James, at First XI level, Derrick will be responsible for organizing all aspects of coaching at Glamorgan, working closely with Adrian Shaw on Second XI matters and also the recently appointed Academy Director, Steve Watkin, on the coaching and development of all young cricketers in Wales.

Chief Executive Mike Fatkin said: "We did consider several options when Jeff Hammond indicated that he would not be returning in 2002 but in John we have someone very well qualified and highly respected, who knows Glamorgan inside out and whom we felt deserved the opportunity to take on the additional responsibility. We are very fortunate to have such good people available. John, Steve and Adrian will make a very good team and have already started working closely together."

Captain Steve James said: "I'm delighted that John's hard work and progress in recent years have been rewarded with this role. He has done it before on a couple of occasions but not until now has he enjoyed the full responsibility to develop his own style over more than one year. I think he'll do a great job: he's Glamorgan through and through, knows each player's strengths and weaknesses and I'm really looking forward to working with him very much."

© Glamorgan CCC/CricInfo