Former South Africa wicketkeeper Dane Vilas announces departure from Lancashire
Aug 14, 2023
Lancashire [UK], August 14 : Former South Africa wicketkeeper Dane Vilas will leave Lancashire at the end of the season after being part of the team for seven-year in the county game, as per ESPNcricinfo.
The 38-year-old is set to participate in the 2023–24 SA20, but he is to end his first-class career, which he started in 2006. He signed on with Lancashire in 2017 as a Kolpak player, and he captained the team for more than four seasons, guiding them to three T20 Finals Days and runners-up finishes in the Championship in 2021 and 2022.
He gave up the captaincy earlier this year, but since Lancashire added Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme to their international options, he has only played five times in the Blast and averaged 16.83 in the Championship.
Vilas has made 85 first-class appearances for Lancashire, scoring 4277 runs overall at an average of 38.88, including a career-high 266 at Colwyn Bay when the team earned promotion from Division Two in 2019. He scored 1494 runs at a strike rate of 136.43 in T20 cricket, and he now averages 53.48 with four hundreds in List A.
"It has been an extremely difficult decision to call time on my county cricket career and one that I have thought long and hard about, however, I feel that the end of this season is the right time for me and for my family," Vilas said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"I have enjoyed a fantastic career, from making my first-class debut for Gauteng in 2006, to the honour and pride of playing Test match cricket for South Africa, before moving to the UK in 2017 to take on a new challenge and making Emirates Old Trafford my home for the last seven seasons.
"It was one of the greatest honours of my career to be named captain of the Red Rose, to lead a brilliant group of players for four seasons and to represent our Members and supporters - who have all been amazing to me, and my family, throughout my time at the Club.
"I would like to thank everybody who has been on this journey with me not only at Lancashire but also for the last 17 years, from my family and friends to all of the players and coaches who I have shared a dressing room with."
