What were the words of advice from Durham legend Neil Riddell?

Freedom and flair are the direct opposite to fear of failure which Neil, like Geoff Cook, another of our speakers, and an England batsman to boot, all suffered from at some time in their careers. Perhaps being a batsman brings an anxiety that is not present in other games or sports. How many games are there where there are 11 people who, all at once, are trying to get you out by being bowled, caught, run out, lbw, stumped, hit wicket etc etc?

Consider also the speed of the ball coming at you, often at 90mph or more at the top level, giving you only a fraction of a second to play your shot, or get safely out of the way.

How many batsmen, especially those making their debuts, would sleep well the night before facing the West Indies with Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Wayne Daniel all gunning for them?

Neil Riddell, the former captain of Durham County Cricket Club and the Minor Counties, during his Talk to the Sports Memories group at Heritage Park, Tindale Crescent on Thursday, March 23

Neil's visit to Heritage Park attracted an above average size audience which included Keith Oldfield, and Gary Tuck, two of his former team-mates from his time at Bishop Auckland Cricket Club.

He began by giving us examples of his love of sport. "At school I played cricket, golf, squash, football and tennis,” he said. “I still play golf and have recently returned from four months in Portugal and then a spell in Spain playing golf before going to Cheltenham to watch the horse racing. Very shortly there will be a visit to Turnbridge for a Pro-am golf tournament."

Neil, who captained Durham County Cricket Club for 13 years, started his cricket career at grassroots level with Raby Castle and Lands and he recalled Bernard Poole at Raby and Gilbert Denham a legend at Lands Cricket Club. He then moved on to Barnard Castle where he played North Yorkshire South Durham B Division cricket in the North Yorkshire before going on to the A Division with Bishop Auckland and finally Darlington.

At Bishop Auckland, he scored 7,583 runs in a 10 year spell, helping them to two league titles.

He received a call up to the NYSD representative team and he proved to be an influential member of the league's first ever national title winning team in 1975.

Neil in action in the NYSD

In 1977 he moved to Darlington, where he hit 10,750 runs, including 13 centuries, to help the Quakers win four championships.

He caught the eye of Durham but in his first game got a second ball duck. In his next game he hit 60 not out against Shropshire to win the Man of the Match award which cemented his place in the team. His mentor in the Durham team was Lance Cairns, the New Zealand Test all rounder.

Neil said: "I never saw Lance take a backward step in a game of cricket. He was always on the front foot thinking positively. I can recall one game when we wanted 220 runs off 17 overs to win. We were all sat in the dressing room and Lance said: 'We can do it.'

“I learned a lot from him."

Joe Banks, second from the right, of the Banks Group, makes a presentation to Arthur Austin, the chairman of Durham CCC, with Neil Riddell, captain on the far left, Peter Roebuck, the Somerset captain second left and Lance Cairns, New Zealand, Durham and Bishop Auckland far right. Taken at the entrance to Feethams, Darlington, in June 1988

Neil cemented his place in the Minor Counties side with another Man of the Match batting display against Northants. Despite suffering from flu, and literally hanging on before lunch where he said he scored the worst 29 runs of his career, he blossomed after the break and slammed 108 not out to win the game.

He said: "Pakistan Test bowler Sarfraz Nawaz and India's Bishen Bedi were both bowling. My innings virtually gave me a passport to travel all over the world with the Minor Counties and play cricket with confidence and freedom.”

He recalled a game between the Minor Counties and the West Indies. "Viv Richards quite clearly snicked one from Johnny Johnston and was caught behind but was given not out,” he said. “As we trooped off the pitch Viv came over and put his arms around Johnny and said: 'The crowd came to see me bat, not to see you bowl’."

He recalled another meeting with the West Indians. "When I came in to bat, one of our players had just been carted off to hospital after being struck on the head by the ball. Winston Davis was bowling and at Durham we had just turned down an application from him to play for us.

“As I walked to the crease, Desmond Haynes shouted over to Winston: 'Hey Winston, this is the guy who says that you can't bowl.' I had a torrid time but managed to score a few runs, mainly off Larry Gomes."

Neil's worst spell in cricket came when he was invited on to the Board of Directors at Durham as they made the transition from a minor county to a first class county playing in the County Championship.

He said: "Don Robson made things happen, but at one stage we had just the bare bones of a team with John Glendenning and Andy Fothergill our local players. Dean Jones was brilliant and then of course Ian Botham joined us as a player, along with people like Geoff Cook and David Graveney. Somehow we got through, but a lot of people were jealous of what we achieved at Durham, holding Test matches etc, and I was pleased when I stood down after four years, and went back to concentrate on my business."

Finally on freedom and flair and the current England team's tactics of playing positively and attacking the opposition bowling, he said: "Sometimes we are scoring at six runs an over in a Test match. Harry Brook, who scores runs all around the wicket, straight back over the bowler’s head, or straight back over his own head, could well go on to be one of our greatest batsmen."

• Thanks to Peter Jackson and Michael Burke for their help.
• READ MORE SPORT NOSTALGIA: THE WINNERS OF WITTON PARK