BtB stories: Doing It Durham

Marcus North joins via Zoom from his office at the Riverside Ground, framed by the muted grey of a typical British November morning. In contrast to the weather outside, his positively sun-soaked Aussie attitude is the immediate characteristic that shines through.

The Durham lion sits proudly on his chest – an athletic-fit tracksuit being the Director’s choice over a suit and tie. “The Northeast has become my home,” he opens up whilst spinning his laptop around to show the ground staff putting the turf to bed. “Beautiful view, isn’t it?”

With the only appropriate response being a nod of the head, it amounts to a yellow and blue tinted view of proceedings out the window, but one he remains true to. For Marcus, it’s more than a view; it’s a testament to nearly two decades of roots planted in the county. “I first came to Durham in 2004, when they took a chance on me as an overseas player. Add five years of league cricket before that, plus six years in my current role as Director of Cricket, and here I am – 45 years old – having spent more of my life in the Northeast than in Australia.”

For North, his bond with Chester-le-Street goes beyond a professional one. “Working at this club is a privilege. And one that I don’t take for granted,” he says. The five-time Test centurion’s connection to the region was grounded at South Northumberland Cricket Club, where he continued playing post-retirement. “It was where I showed my son what cricket meant to me,” he shares, describing the club as “a miniature county cricket club, with bars, indoor facilities, and professional coaching.” It was there that he laid the groundwork for his move into the big leagues.

“The club trusted me as CEO, and I learned a tremendous amount about the principles of business in sport. That experience came full circle when Durham was facing challenges – financial issues, forced relegation, and players leaving gave me the opportunity to step in when called upon and make a difference,” North explains, now six years into his role as Director of Cricket at the 142-year-old club.

In just over half a decade in charge, North suggests cricket has changed more than in any other era. One of the most rewarding developments, he suggests, is Durham’s most recent bid to host one of eight women’s Tier 1 county teams in 2025. “This is a new chapter for us,” he says.

“The place is buzzing with excitement, we’ve got players coming in and collecting their kit, some are having a hit in the nets, and that’s before the official start date. There’s a great vibe around the ground, the day is finally here where we can start our next chapter with two professional teams under one roof.”

Durham’s commitment to developing women’s and girls’ cricket isn’t new, North emphasises: “The gym here is one of the best on the county circuit, designed to be multifunctional for both our men’s and women’s squads. We’re upgrading changing rooms and aiming for world-class facilities across the board. Most of which we have in place already.”

Aligned with the men’s game for the first time, North is confident in the impact of the new three-tier system and is particularly excited about the Vitality Blast T20 competition. “Double-headers will be perfect for showcasing the best of women’s cricket and fostering support in the region – like we’ve seen in The Hundred.

“Not having Test match cricket here, or a Hundred team gives us the freedom to do what we like with pitches. We’ve got a nursery ground plus two separate off-ground turf net facilities. And as far as playing matches goes, unless we strategically decide to play at out-grounds – which we sometimes do with the men – our anticipation is that both men’s and women’s sides will share equal use of the ground. All in the effort to build our existing support and create a real atmosphere around the region. In turn, this gives us the best chance of winning some silverware by the end of the season.

Of all eight counties hosting Tier 1 cricket in 2025, Durham is the smallest. Geographically speaking. But one that continues to punch well above its weight. The reasoning for this, North suggests, comes in the form of neighbouring counties. “Durham, Northumberland, North Cumbria, Scotland, and Yorkshire now with the women make up the bulk of our squads. With a few players brought in from other pathways like Ollie Robinson (Kent) and Emily Windsor (Southern Vipers), it’s a mix that works brilliantly.

“Having a professional women’s team presents a clear pathway for girls in the surrounding areas to make a real go at becoming cricketers. Like their idols. And our academies will be a super strength for us in the long run. No doubt.

“Durham has its own DNA. I’ve worked here long enough to understand, that’s a reflection of the coaches and staff here. The people involved in this club are invested emotionally as well as professionally. Understanding that when recruiting players is important, getting players and staff to understand what it means to do it the Durham way.

“That’s partly why I’m going to be the Director of Cricket for both the men’s and women’s teams.” North continues, outlining his role as the only person to lead both sides in the country. “We thought about the position as part of the process in applying for Tier 1 status: myself, CEO Tim Bostock and the board felt that I was in the best position to align the leadership within those structures – in an ideal world it’s not forever, we want to bring someone in but right now it’s the best thing to do for the club.”

He is quick to highlight the impact head coach Dani Hazell had on that decision. “Dani is a Northeast native with bags of experience in the women’s game. She’s been instrumental in recruitment and building our team from the ground up.

“Where the men’s structure has had decades of established pathways to earning a living – and relocation has been a huge part of being a professional cricketer for some time – the women’s game is just starting that process.

“There’s never been a lot of movement, and I’ve no doubt this change could be an anxious time for players – but it’s also created the opportunity for those players to have a real choice over where they’re going to play. Who they’re going to play for. And where they’re going to live.

“It’s a very different place up here, and in moving their lives to the Northeast we have to make that easy for players. Both financially and emotionally. The reality is that the money hasn’t been there until now.” The plans – which could see an 80 per cent increase in the number of professional female players in England and Wales by 2029 – the ECB says, will further accelerate the growth of women’s cricket. That promise comes with the ECB committing a further £3m a year to Tier 1 counties.

“Until recently, there haven’t been the resources to sustain growth in a career financially,” Marcus continues. “A lot of players are working jobs or putting education above cricket because they need to have careers outside of the game.

“We’re in a position now where there’s a clear path for contracted players in the UK to earn a sustained living. The hope is that these girls can earn enough money to sustain a progressive lifestyle for 15 years – a privilege the guys have had for decades.

“Making that transition a smooth one is a real priority for us at the moment – the majority of talent will initially come from outside the immediate area. Everyone’s relocating and we have allocated significant resources to support them in that process. Once we get players here, they very rarely leave, it’s a great part of the country to live. Which explains why I’m still here some two decades later, I suppose.”

Building a life for players away from the Riverside Ground remains a priority for North, but he makes clear that his number one objective at Durham is to produce England players. “Culturally that’s something I’m quite passionate about,” he continues. “That’s how the Australian model works and whilst it’s very different here, the objective for me remains the same.”

His is a philosophy that drives from the ground up, “if we can share repeated international success as well as we have done with the men – with Mathew Potts, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood et al. making up the bulk of England’s pace battery – well then we’ll be in a good place.

“It’s beneficial for everyone if we contribute to a successful England women’s team in all formats. Why has Lauren Filer chosen to come to Durham?” He says, rhetorically, the England right-arm quick having joined the club in October. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to push her to become one of the best players in world cricket.

“Boasting well-established international players in year zero is brilliant for the younger generation in the squad, and the younger-still talent in pathways. We want to see the next Lauren Filer coming through our system. You can’t be what you can’t see – that’s very much part of having that clear pathway into the first team and an identity as a professional unit.

“I’d hope that’s one of the reasons the ECB saw us as one of the eight counties to take this new structure forward. Durham is a place where skills and opinions are well supported. And people are put first.”

With those closing words, the self-proclaimed Northeast-man reiterates that Durham is a special place. “I personally can’t wait to see where we can take the club in the next 12 months,” he concludes: “In all the six and-a-half years I’ve been present in this role, this is by far the most exciting.”

Read the full magazine below:

Read the back catalogue of all 35 magazines.