Middlesex head coach Richard Scott leaves role after nine years

Richard Scott has left his position as Middlesex head coach after nearly a decade in the role.

Scott was appointed during the summer of 2009 and his greatest moment came when Middlesex clinched the Specsavers County Championship title a little under two years ago.

However, the club were relegated by a solitary point last season and their hopes of regaining Division One status have been hit by three losses in their opening seven second-tier fixtures.

Assistant coach Richard Johnson, a former Middlesex seamer who played three Tests and 10 one-day internationals for England, will take charge for the remaining seven championship games.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Daniel Vettori will oversee Middlesex in the Vitality Blast, as he did for last season's T20 campaign.

Middlesex's managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said: "On behalf of Middlesex Cricket I would like to thank Richard for all that he has given the club as head coach during the past 10 years; he has been a loyal, hard-working, committed and high-quality coach.

"As with every coach in professional sport we have shared highs and lows, but to play a leading role in a side winning the County Championship is a triumph very few coaches can claim."

On Scott's watch, seven players - Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Sam Robson, Dawid Malan and Toby Roland-Jones for England and Tim Murtagh and Paul Stirling for Ireland - made their Test debuts.

Fraser added: "Under his guidance more than a dozen cricketers have gone on to gain international recognition.

"A process to recruit a new head coach for 2019 will commence immediately."