London, Dec 8 (NationPress) Jon Lewis, the ex-coach of the England women's cricket team, has officially been announced as the head coach of London Spirit for the upcoming The Hundred Women’s competition. He succeeds Chris Liddle, who took to Instagram to express gratitude to players and staff for their ‘four unforgettable years’.

Lewis will collaborate with Heather Knight, the seasoned England batter and General Manager of London Spirit women’s team, to finalize staff selections and team composition before the player auction set for March.

“This presents an exhilarating opportunity to influence the future of this franchise. I am eager to assemble a squad filled with both talent and character, and to produce cricket that our fans at Lord’s will rally behind as we strive for another title this summer,” stated Lewis.

“I also want to extend my thanks to Gloucestershire for permitting me to seize this opportunity during The Hundred, while I continue to enhance the county’s performance structure,” he added in a statement on Monday.

Under Lewis's guidance, England reached the semifinals of the 2023 ICC T20 World Cup, triumphed over India in an away T20I series, and secured home series victories against Pakistan and New Zealand in 2024. He was also at the helm during England's remarkable 2023 Ashes series, where they overcame a 6-0 deficit to draw 8-8.

However, Lewis departed as England’s head coach earlier this year following a dismal 16-0 loss in the Women’s Ashes in Australia. He also stepped down from his role with the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the team finished last in this year's tournament.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jon as our Women’s Head Coach. I have witnessed his coaching capabilities and personal qualities firsthand. His extensive experiences in both the women’s and men’s games will be invaluable as we pursue enduring success,” remarked Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket at the Spirits.

“It’s particularly exciting to think of the potential in his collaboration with Heather, whom he knows well from their time together in the senior England women’s squad,” Bobat added.

Lewis has represented England across all formats during his playing days and currently serves as the Director of Cricket at Gloucestershire, overseeing performance structures for both men’s and women’s teams along with pathway programs.

He will join the Spirit after Gloucestershire’s final T20 Blast match in July, just ahead of the commencement of The Hundred in August.

“Congratulations to Jon on securing this distinguished coaching position at London Spirit. We anticipated that appointing him as Director of Cricket at our club would lead to a franchise opportunity in The Hundred due to his extensive coaching experience globally,” said Neil Priscott, Chief Executive at Gloucestershire Cricket.

“Having someone deeply embedded in the elite women’s game is a tremendous asset as we aim to evolve our women’s cricket team toward our goal of becoming ‘Tier 1 ready’,” he concluded.