ALBERT VAN DER MERWE has been appointed as Head Coach of Leinster Lightning.
The 37 year-old former Irish international replaces Ted Williamson who stepped down at the end of the summer.
Van Der Merwe played 21 times for Ireland between 2010 and 2012, taking 40 wickets at 22.55, with his finest moment coming in the InterContinental Cup win over Kenya, when his match figures of 11 for 68 spun Ireland to victory.
Cricket Leinster President Roland Bradley welcomed the appointment of Van Der Merwe saying: "Albert's experience and calm temperament makes him a perfect fit for the Leinster Lightning role.
"He has done some excellent work domestically at YMCA as well as being assistant coach with Lightning during last season's successful campaign.
"He has also experience in the international arena, not just obviously as a player but also as Ireland Under 17 assistant coach, and working with the Cricket Ireland Emerging Players Programme.
"I'm certain he will continue the superb work of previous coaches Trent Johnston and Ted Williamson as Leinster Lightning hope to win more trophies in 2017. The fact that the competition will have first-class status next season has given everyone a real boost and it should be a great advert for Irish cricket."
Speaking after his appointment, Van Der Merwe looked forward to the challenge of continuing Leinster Lightning's domination of the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Series.
"It is a great honour to step into this role with Leinster Lightning, and naturally I am delighted. The opportunity to cut my teeth in a High Performance role is something I relish and am very proud of.
"It is an exciting time for Leinster and Irish cricket with the ICC’s historic decision to elevate the Inter-Provincial status. We are now bearing the fruit of the labour of administrators and players over an extended period and the current and future crop will have great opportunities, but also a huge responsibility," added Van Der Merwe.
Leinster Lightning have won 10 of the 12 trophies on offer since the series was re-launched in 2013 and Van Der Merwe is keen to continue that winning run.
"I look forward to working with captain John Anderson, building on successful seasons under the guidance of Trent Johnston and Ted Williamson. There is a strong core of established players, along with a talented bunch of young players pushing for recognition.
"Facilitating player development through different stages of the playing pathway will be a crucial element, not only to be successful, but also to give continuity and stability to the province.The reward for players to perform and get recognised is now greater than ever and I think this will be great for the club game in Leinster.
"Leinster, as a province, has played an integral part in the development of Irish cricket and its cricketers. There is no doubt that the Inter-Provincial series will be hugely competitive and Leinster Lightning will continue to be looking to raise the bar."