London Spirit axe Trevor Bayliss after three wins in last two seasons

Trevor Bayliss has left his role at London Spirit in the Hundred after his men’s team finished bottom in 2024. Bayliss replaced the late Shane Warne as men’s coach ahead of the 2022 season, when Eoin Morgan captained them to the play-offs, but his team have won only three games and lost 11 in the last two years since Morgan’s retirement.

Bayliss’ side were particularly poor in 2024, losing seven of their eight matches with a scrappy three-wicket win over Welsh Fire the only exception. Their top picks at the draft, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, managed 216 runs between them, and Dan Lawrence was unable to get them out of a rut as captain.

The Spirit’s struggles in the men’s Hundred were only emphasised by the success of their women’s team, who won the title for the first time under Heather Knight and Ashley Noffke. Noffke has since signed an extension for the 2025 edition, though has lost assistant Ali Maiden to Birmingham Phoenix.

“We’d all like to thank Trevor for his considerable efforts across the last three seasons,” Fraser Stewart, London Spirit’s general manager and the MCC’s head of cricket, said in a statement. “He initially joined us in difficult circumstances and led the side to a strong finish in 2022, but the team hasn’t been able to replicate that success since.

“As a group, we’re desperate to see London Spirit competing at the right end of the table and we think a new approach may be of benefit to our chances. Trevor leaves Lord’s with our best wishes and our gratitude.”

Bayliss’ stock has fallen as a coach of late, five years on from his England side’s triumph in the 2019 50-over World Cup. He was replaced as Punjab Kings coach by Ricky Ponting earlier this year, though has been retained as Sydney Thunder coach for the upcoming Big Bash League season despite overseeing their last-placed finish in 2023-24.

London Spirit have already advertised for Bayliss’ replacement, with a first-round deadline of December 11. James Foster and Paul Collingwood are both potential contenders, having spent time working under Bayliss as assistant coaches, and an appointment appears likely to take place before the completion of the Hundred’s ongoing sales process.

The second-round deadline for bids from private investors (for 49% stakes in the Hundred’s eight teams) is December 9, with London Spirit expected to attract the highest offers. Interested bidders for the Spirit are understood to include at least two IPL franchises in Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, as well as the Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer.