Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard is to step down after five years of his second spell in charge of the county, a year before his contract ends.
He has only been running Championship cricket in 2023, after returning to the overall head coach’s role in 2019.
The club was in the promotion mix until early September when defeat at Worcester saw their hopes fade.
“Hopefully I’ve passed it on in a better place than when I took it on,” said Maynard.
“I feel very rewarded with the time I’ve had here but there are certain frustrations as well. Maybe a little bit [in results] but I’ve been after a match-winning spinner since I’ve come here, there’ve been a couple available in that time that we didn’t get,” he told BBC Sport Wales in an exclusive interview about his decision to resign.
“The lads have really developed and I’ve changed my coaching style from being quite authoritative, we’ve allowed the players to shine and take over various responsibilities.”
Glamorgan finished one spot outside the promotion places in both 2019 and 2022, retaining their hopes of reaching Division One until the final game of the season on both occasions.
Maynard took the reins for a second time after two seasons as batting consultant under Robert Croft.
His first spell in charge was between 2008 and 2010, ending after upheavals at the club when the team just missed out on promotion from Division Two.
But Glamorgan have been less successful in limited-overs cricket under Maynard, with no T20 knockout stages reached since 2017, and David Harrison having run the 2021 side which won the One-Day Cup while Maynard was working for the Welsh Fire franchise.
“I fully understand our results weren’t what they could have been but they weren’t this year [either],” said Maynard.
“I love being involved in white-ball cricket, it’s a different kind of satisfaction, you get great highs and lows, and I miss that. l love the championship but I also want to do white-ball cricket and that opportunity isn’t available to me at Glamorgan.”
Director of cricket Mark Wallace paid tribute to the departing Maynard.
“Matt’s been an unbelievable servant to the club, most recently as head coach, he’s moving on but he remains a club legend.
“It [failures to land promotion] has been narrow. Last year was the real kicker where we were really hopeful, but this year’s probably been more disappointing as we’ve faded away a bit latterly,” Wallace told BBC Sport Wales.
“But when Matt took over and I came into this role there was a lot of work to be done in front of and behind the scenes, and Matt’s put a huge amount of work in with a lot of the players and developed the culture.”
Year of change
The departure of 57-year-old Maynard comes in a year of sweeping changes at the county.
Mark Alleyne was appointed as white-ball coach but could not bring an improvement in T20 fortunes.
He looked set to run the One-Day Cup team before David Harrison was reappointed to the role, the announcement being made just three days before the competition started.
“We’ll review the coaching and players and then decide where we go, who’s out there,” said Wallace.
“Mark Alleyne’s got a year left on his contract as limited-overs head coach, so that’s his position as we currently stand. There’s been some positives out of [splitting coaching roles] but some teething problems as well.”
There has also been change in the boardroom with chairman Gareth Williams leaving for the England and Wales Cricket board (ECB) to be replaced by Mark Rhydderch-Roberts, while chief executive Hugh Morris is to step down at the end of the year after a decade in charge and a second spell of cancer treatment.
Championship captain David Lloyd will leave for Derbyshire at the end of the season, much to Maynard’s dismay.
Playing resources
Glamorgan have had widespread problems in bowling sides out in 2023, so has Maynard had the tools for the job?
“We’ve got good runs but struggled to get wickets,” admitted Wallace.
“Michael Hogan was difficult to replace, Timm van der Gugten has had a good season and Jamie McIlroy’s come on but it’s probably the bowling department that’s meant we finish where we do in the Championship. We’ll look at what resources and players are available and get into next season with as strong a squad as we can.”
What next?
In between his time at Sophia Gardens, Maynard was in charge at Somerset for three seasons, also working for Nashua Titans in South Africa and St Lucia Zouks in the West Indies.
He previously worked as an assistant coach for England under Duncan Fletcher, one of his county coaches.
“I love being involved in the game, if it’s as head coach, if it’s an assistant coach and I loved working under Mike Hussey [with Welsh Fire] in the Hundred. If the right opportunity came as head coach I’d look at it whether it’s in this country or abroad,” Maynard said.
“But I’ve travelled a lot and my long-suffering wife needs a bit of my time as well!
“We’ll see what’s out there, I’m not in a rush, but I’ve still got huge ambition to make players better people, better cricketers and to work better as a team.”
So the man who hit a debut century for Glamorgan, and led them to a Championship title is not likely to declare his professional career over after 39 years.
