Dane Vilas appointed as Middlesex Cricket Interim Men’s First Team Coach

Immediately after securing their first Blast win at Lords for three years, Middlesex also confirmed the appointment of South African, Dane Vilas, as Interim Men’s First Team Coach until the end of the 2025 season.

Vilas, 40, will take over the reins following tonight’s Vitality Blast encounter for Middlesex against Surrey at the Kia Oval and ahead of Sunday’s Rothesay County Championship clash against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

The Club’s new Interim First Team Coach enjoyed a professional career which spanned 18 years, in which time he amassed over 10,000 first-class runs in 199 matches – notching 25 hundreds and a career-best score of 266. Across 2015 and 2016 Vilas made six Test appearances for his country and the following year joined Lancashire, initially as a Kolpak signing, before becoming Lancashire’s overseas player and remaining at Emirates Old Trafford until his first-class retirement at the end of the 2023 season.

Vilas has had three seasons of Blast success with Lancashire 

He captained the Red Rose across four seasons from 2019, leading the Club to promotion to Division One of the County Championship in his first year in charge, and to two further second place finishes in 2021 and 2022. In his time at Lancashire, he also enjoyed an impressive T20 career, experiencing three T20 Finals Days at Edgbaston in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

Vilas brings a huge amount of county cricket knowledge and experience to the role, from his time in the English game, with a proven track record of successful leadership.

Speaking of today’s appointment, Middlesex Cricket’s Director of Cricket, Alan Coleman, said: “I am delighted to welcome Dane to the club as our Interim First Team Coach.  He has a wealth of experience to offer our squad, and I believe that we will all benefit from his presence and leadership across the rest of this season. Coleman added “Though Dane is still early in his coaching career, having only finished playing for Lancashire in 2023, I am confident that his leadership presence, competitive edge and experience of all formats, including franchise cricket, will have a huge impact on our squad.  Dane will be supported by what I believe is an exceptional coaching team of Rory Coutts, Tim Murtagh and Ian Salisbury, who all bring variety and wide-ranging knowledge to our team.

A delighted Vilas said: “It’s an absolute honour to be here. Lord’s is such a special place and I’m looking forward to getting started with the squad. The potential is endless for the group and I’ll be keen to harness that and help grow their careers. I’ve got good relationships with Rory Coutts, Tim Murtagh and Ian Salisbury, so to have the four of us together is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Last nights win against Essex added vital points to their campaign but did not lift Middlesex up from seventh in the South Group and they currently sit a disappointing sixth in the Championship Division 2. The club feels strongly that the talent and potential of the squad should be challenging at the top of both tables and this was the strongly stated aim for the season. If experience and leadership qualities of Vilas can turn the season around whilst there is still time, it must also place him in strong consideration for a longer term role.