Geoff Cook admits steering Durham to their maiden County Championship title will go down as his "proudest achievement".
North east county reap the benefits after years of hard work
Geoff Cook admits steering Durham to their maiden County Championship title will go down as his "proudest achievement".
An innings victory over Kent at Canterbury coupled with Nottinghamshire's home defeat to Hampshire saw Durham crowned champions of Division One.
For Middlesbrough-born Cook it was a sweet success considering he has been with the county since their inaugural first-class campaign 16 years ago.
He believes last year's Friends Provident Trophy win at Lord's helped build confidence in the squad that they could win silverware.
Terrific help
"We've introduced something, from a sporting sense, into the north east. Now we have hammered another nail into the wall," he said.
"Winning the Friends Provident Trophy last year was great, but it will probably turn into something else in another season, if it's there at all, so that is almost in passing.
"Last year was a terrific help in getting the team confidence but this year we've put our name on a flag that is going to be here for ever more.
"I think this is probably my proudest achievement. You tend to get lost in your own career but when you see so many players enjoy themselves - people in and outside the dressing room - that is a sweet moment.
"It's a terrifically proud moment for me personally. But it's a fantastic moment for (captain) Dale (Benkenstein), who is a marvellous leader of this team."
Cook spent 19 years as a player with Northamptonshire and England before returning north to oversee Durham's development as a first-class county.
He fondly remembers the early years, which included seeing the legendary Ian Botham finish his playing days in the north east.
The 56-year-old feels the county have benefited through the years by having some key players in their squad, right up to current captain Benkenstein.
Romantic years
"Those years were romantic," Cook recalled. "We had lots of top names who came along and enjoyed what Durham had to offer.
"Following that generation we had to get down to brass tacks and try to create the solid base which, we hope, we have now.
"David Boon came and introduced qualities we were looking for at that time, and Michael Hussey was with us fleetingly and kept up those qualities and also brought a huge level of individual performance as well.
"Then we had a group of people, including Michael Di Venuto and Benkenstein, to continue in that vein. We've been lucky to have quality people."
