Cricket Club Issue 48 | Page 26

Durham County Durham County CRICKET CLUB I t would be fair to say that things have not always been plain sailing for Durham CCC but with their finances now secure they are in a good position to make progress. Cricket Club Magazine recently caught up with their Marketing Director Tom Seymour to find out more about how they have been getting along lately. CC: How’s the general mood down at the club at the moment? TS: Very good. We’re financially in a good place and our T20 attendances have been the highest we’ve ever had at Emirates Riverside, demonstrating the passion for cricket in the north east. CC: How would you say the season has gone for the club? TS: We have been able to attract high-calibre international players to Chester-le-Street this season and were rewarded with a home quarter-final in the T20 Blast. The decision to grow our family audience has been extremely successful. We’re delighted to see so many children enjoying our games and Family Zone. 26 Issue 48 CC: What are your plans for the rest of 2018? TS: We aim to finish the Specsavers County Championship strong and then the planning, commercially and on the field, begins for 2019. We have already made three strong signings in Alex Lees, Cameron Bancroft and Ben Raine for next season and we will look to compete for promotion. CC: How important is youth cricket to the club? TS: Hugely important. The success of Durham’s Academy has been well publicised and the work of former Head Coach Geoff Cook and our current Academy Director John Windows has been exceptional. We have had a number of our young cricketers go on to play for England including Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Mark Stoneman, Steve Harmison, Graham Onions and Liam Plunkett to name a few and the club remains committed to developing junior cricketers and providing local lads with opportunities. Durham’s Academy