Player Profile
Lancashire turned all manner of heads when they completed the overseas signing of legendary off-spinner Nathan Lyon for the entirety of the 2024 season.
New head coach Dale Benkenstein summed things up perfectly when he said: “I don’t think any county would turn down the chance to sign Nathan for a full season, and it’s a really good option for us - not only on the field, but off it as well.”
Australian Lyon is one of only nine players to have passed the 500-wicket mark in Test Match history, another being his new county team-mate Jimmy Anderson.
Ahead of the two-match series in New Zealand, spanning the end of February and the start of March, the New South Welshman was sat on 517 wickets from 127 Tests, including a best of 8-50.
Lyon, 36-years-old, has every chance of reaching 800 first-class wickets during his stay at Emirates Old Trafford given he arrived in the North West less than 40 away.
Of the nine bowlers to have passed 500 wickets in Tests, five of them are spinners, including the late Shane Warne with 708. Whether Lyon matches that haul before he’s done remains to be seen, but it’s not completely out of the question.
Imagine if, like Anderson, he plays into his forties for example!
He is a World Test champion having helped Australia beat India in the 2023 Test Championship final at the Oval, just before the Ashes, which ended horribly for him with a torn calf midway through the second Test at Lord’s.
Since debuting in Tests in September 2011, he has gone on to play both ODI and T20 cricket for his country, though he is far from a regular having only played 31 times across both disciplines.
He will, however, play for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast, looking to add to 60 career wickets. He should have every chance given how well the Lightning utilise spin, especially at his new home venue.
Lyon played age-group cricket for the Australian Capital Territory before making his debut in all formats in the first couple of months of 2011 for South Australia. His senior debut actually came in T20 cricket.
When trying to make his way with the Redbacks, he was actually on the South Australia Cricket Association ground-staff.
He is a former grade cricket team-mate of Joe Root’s, the pair playing together whilst the England star was wintering in Adelaide at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy. They remain very close friends to this day, belying the hostility of the Ashes rivalry.
Lyon now has his own Academy in New South Wales, and it is hoped he will provide significant off-field help and support to Tom Hartley and Lancashire’s other young spinners whilst he is with the county.
Just like fellow overseas signing Tom Bruce, Lyon is no stranger to a domestic title or two. Or maybe eight!
He helped New South Wales win the four-day Sheffield Shield title in 2013/14 and again in 2019/20.
He is also a four-time winner of Australia’s One-Day Cup, in 2011/12 with South Australia and with New South Wales in 2015/16, 2016/17 and in 2020/21.
In the 2017 final, against Queensland, he was awarded the player-of-the-match award following figures of 4-10 from four overs.
He is also a two-time Big Bash winner with Sydney Sixers - 2017/18 and 2019-20.