Coach Grayson leaves Essex

Grayson's assistant Chris Silverwood is to take temporary charge of the county for the remaining weeks of the season.

Essex confirmed Grayson's departure - after almost 20 years as a player, captain then coach at Chelmsford - in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

Grayson, 44, leaves at a time of much change at the club where another former player Ronnie Irani recently took over as cricket chairman.

A press release read: "Essex County Cricket Club would like to announce that its head coach Paul Grayson has left the club by mutual consent.

"The club would like to place on record its thanks for Paul's many years of service."

Yorkshire-born Grayson, who has been coach since 2007, said: "I have had 19 wonderful years at Essex CCC, both as a player and as a coach, but I now feel the time is right for a new challenge.

"I would like to thank the cricket committee for their trust and support over the years - in particular John Faragher, Graham Gooch, David Acfield, Keith Fletcher and Nigel Hilliard.

"A special thank you [as well] to [former cricket chairman] Graham Saville, who brought me to Essex and has showed loyal support to me, for which I will always be grateful.

"Thank you also to the loyal supporters, who understand the vision of the club and the development of Essex's own players.

"I have always been a strong supporter of the club's policy of developing our own players into first-class cricketers, and it is a pleasure to see so many doing well in the game.

"I'd like to wish the club all the best for the future."

Saville said: "I'd like to thank Paul Grayson for his loyal service to the club as both a player and as a coach.

"He has done everything we had asked him to do with our youth policy.

"Since taking over in 2007, Paul has helped to develop some outstanding young cricketers, who we hope will go on to represent Essex for a long time in the future.

"We wish him all the best for the future."

Grayson's departure is far from unexpected, and former England wicketkeeper Paul Nixon has been among those mentioned as a possible long-term successor.

Essex are sixth in Division Two of the LV= County Championship, with two fixtures left this summer, and were last week knocked out of the Royal London Cup by Yorkshire at the quarter-final stage.