Sir Ian Botham showcased his famed competitive nature at the club’s recent annual Golf Day where he helped Emirates win first prize after a hard-fought 22-team contest at Close House, Northumberland.
The Durham County Cricket Club Chairman then proved his impressive golf skills were no fluke, finishing in third place with Glass Digital two weeks later (June 1) at Wynyard Hall.
Sir Ian confidently welcomed all of the club’s sponsors with two resilient introduction speeches and spent time socialising with each business individually.
Former Durham cricket stars Steve Harmison and Otis Gibson played through Close House’s undulating greens alongside DCCC’s current skipper, Paul Collingwood – who helped his Heineken team to a second-place finish. Former Newcastle United goalkeeper, Steve Harper joined Botham on Glass Digital’s team, while DCCC were represented by Keaton Jennings, Jack Burnham, Stephen Cook and Graham Clark at Wynyard Hall.
Botham, who attended Emirates Riverside for Durham’s opening Specsavers County Championship fixture against Nottingham, spoke positively about his new role as chairman, establishing new relationships and moving forward as the club aims to return to cricket’s top tier.
Sir Ian said: “Durham are getting stronger every day and we’re very happy where we are.
“Days like today are important as they show our sponsors that we’re in a good place and demonstrate our rebuilding process.
“People questioned our sustainability due to the sanctions given by the ECB but we have broken those barriers down and everyone’s had a great day, playing golf in the sunshine and enjoying one of Durham’s finest corporate events of the year.
“We’ll keep going at Durham; we’ll do it our way and we’ll be back where we belong in no time. I’d like to thank all of our sponsors and I look forward to taking the club into a successful period with them all alongside us.”