Player Profile

Seam-bowling all-rounder Paul Coughlin arrives at Emirates Old Trafford with a wealth of experience under his belt, having played more than 13 years of county cricket with both home county Durham and Nottinghamshire.

Coughlin, 33, has joined the Red Rose ahead of 2026 as one of two domestic recruits, the other being fast bowler Ajeet Singh Dale from Gloucestershire.

Coughlin’s career has seen him sandwich a spell at Notts in between two at Durham, and he is closing in on 200 senior appearances across all formats.

He has 142 first-class wickets to his name, including a handful of five-wicket hauls, and has added another in T20 cricket. Born in Sunderland, Coughlin also has a best of 100 not out against the red ball to his name. 

A product of Durham’s Academy, he has captained them in first-team cricket. He was named their Vitality Blast skipper for the 2017 summer.

It was just after that he progressed through to play for the England Lions, in late 2017 and early 2018 in both Australia and then the West Indies. In all, he played 12 times for them, scoring 180 runs and taking 13 wickets.

A right-arm seamer and a middle to lower order batter, Coughlin debuted for Durham’s first team in 2012 - he signed his first pro contract the following year - before spending two seasons with Nottinghamshire in 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, it was an injury-ravaged period in his career, and he returned home.

Coughlin says he is “thrilled” to have joined Lancashire and to have linked up once more with former Riverside team-mates Keaton Jennings and Michael Jones.

Lancashire were actually the opponents for Coughlin’s debut in the County Championship in June 2014, a home win at the Riverside. He took four wickets in that match, and they were quite the collection.

He removed Usman Khawaja, Ashwell Prince twice and Steven Croft once. 

Maybe he best not remind Croft of that one when selection meetings are close! 

In a 2024 Blast win up in the North East, Coughlin also dismissed Matty Hurst with a quite remarkable reflex caught and bowled chance which the bowler did well to prevent it from hitting him in the head and never mind catching it.

It’s one of those catches which is regularly played via social media clips.

Fingers crossed, there are more magic moments to follow for Coughlin but this time wearing the Red Rose on his chest.