Durham and Worcestershire honoured at Business of Cricket Awards

Durham and Worcestershire were the big winners at the Business of Cricket Awards (BOCAs) last night.

The BOCAs, hosted by BBC broadcaster Mark Chapman at The Emirates Old Trafford, aim to recognise non-playing excellence in the professional game.

Durham picked up three gongs including Best Commercial Partnership and Most Improved Match Day Experience. David Jackson received the Rising Star Award for his work leading their Marketing and Comms team to champion improvements in customer experience.

Worcestershire were recognised for their Growth Strategy, after they successfully used Blackfinch New Road to drive revenue by utilizing the venue for conferencing and events throughout the year. It was a double win for the Pears with Carrie Lloyd picking up the Unsung Hero Award.

Lord's retiring groundsman Mick Hunt received a standing ovation as he collected the Appreciation of Service Award, recognising his 49-year career.

The Welcoming Families award went to Hampshire, for their efforts to position The Ageas Bowl as a child friendly venue. The judges were particularly impressed by their efforts to promote at family events outside of traditional cricket venues. Their groundsman, Karl McDermott, shared the 1 Day Pitch Award with Somerset’s Simon Lee.

Leicestershire’ Bolly-Cric initiative, led by community coach Amna Rafiq, won the award for Unleashing Cricket in the Community. The programme, linking cricket with Bollywood dancing, aims to engage South Asian women and find news ways to introduce people to the sport.

Warwickshire’s Podcast 'The Bears Podblast' was recognised with the Club Innovation Award. Working in partnership with BBC West Midlands, the podcast received international pick up.

The Best Domestic Campaign went to Yorkshire for their work highlighting how intertwined their Members are with both Yorkshire and English cricket and using that in a localised campaign to increase membership numbers.

Talking about the awards, Gordon Hollins, ECB Chief Operating Officer said, “Nights like tonight give us the chance to say thank you and to recognise the work put in by the hundreds of staff who play a vital role in delivering the success of our professional game.

“Alongside our well deserving winners I’d like to pay tribute to all of the shortlisted nominees, you are all making a huge difference.

“The BOCAs allow us to celebrate the work going on across the country to enable our domestic game to thrive, and to help our counties learn from a wide range of speakers at our Business of Cricket Conference. I’d like to thank Mary Cahill and her volunteering team from the Cricket World Cup 2019, Justin Hopwood from Lancashire, Nick Sykes from FutureBrand and the BBC’s Barbara Slater and Ben Gallop for sharing some fascinating insights with us throughout the day.”

Business of Cricket Award Winners:

Warmest Welcome - Nottinghamshire

Club Innovation - Warwickshire

Welcome Families - Hampshire

Match Operations Unsung Hero - Carrie Lloyd (Worcestershire)

Best Domestic Campaign - Yorkshire

Most Improved Match Day Experience - Durham

Inspiring Fan Loyalty - Nottinghamshire

Growth Strategy - Worcestershire

Volunteer of the Season - MCC

Commercial Partnership - Durham

Unleashing Cricket in the Community - Leicestershire

Rising Star - David Jackson (Durham)

Outgrounds - Adrian Long (Beckenham)

1-day pitches - Karl McDermott (Hampshire) & Simon Lee (Somerset)

3 & 4 day pitches - Lee Fortis (Surrey)

Appreciation of Service - Mick Hunt