Award is recognition of a real success story.

Byline: ANDREW HEBDEN

CONSIDERING this region's obsession with sport, it is surprising that we have perhaps been guilty in recent years of failing to give enough recognition to our most significant sporting success story.

The achievements of Durham County Cricket Club, which has just won its second consecutive county championship, are well known, but it is easy to forget the club's recent humble origins.

It is unfortunate that Durham's success in the most prestigious domestic competition in the sport has coincided with the national media apparently losing interest in the game at this level. Where, once, each national title would send a reporter to every county championship game, this is certainly not the case today and Durham's triumph this year was not afforded the column inches it unquestionably deserved.

It seems the best chance of getting Durham's name into the national Press is via the achievements of the county's international players, as the appetite for coverage of England seems as strong as ever. We are fortunate, in that regard, that one of Dur- ham's greatest servants this week achieved recognition for his one-man show in the one-day international in South Africa.

Paul Collingwood wasn't the only one associated with Durham CC celebrating over the past few days. Last Thursday, the club's long-serving chief executive David Harker had the honour of being named the North East Business Executive of the Year by The Journal and Evening Gazette.

David's award was obviously timely, considering the club's achievements on the pitch this season - defending the county championship is arguably an even more impressive feat than winning the title for the first time the year before.

But it is also recognition of the wider achievements of the cricket club as a business. The development of the Riverside into a venue which will soon be hosting the Ashes, plus the attraction of sponsors such as Emirates, have been achieved at the same time as the club reached out in to the community through its foundation and academy programme. David's honour marked something of a milestone in the history of the long-established Business Executive of the Year award, being the first time an executive from a sports club had been given the title.

The decision is a reflection of the breadth of talent recognised by the award, which has in recent years gone to successful entrepreneur Dr Tony Trapp and, prior to him, bosses of successful plcs - John Clough at Eaga, Sir Mike Darrington at Greggs and John Cuthbert from Northumbrian Water. As was often mentioned during speeches at last week's event, 2009 has proved to be a testing time for executives, regardless of what business they operate in. It is at times like this that the best leaders prove their worth to an organisation, and we are fortunate that there were many examples of those honoured at the awards.

We hope that, come next year's judging sessions, we will have an equally strong field to choose from, reflecting a range of businesses which have come through the recession with flying colours.

Andrew Hebden is head of business at ncjMedia