My Passion With Neil Stephenson

CRICKET has been a lifelong passion of mine.

My father, Richard Stephenson, played professionally and so my mother spent many hours pushing me around the ground in my pram. It’s fair to say, I was born into it.

I spent my younger years at my local cricket club both watching and then when I was old enough to run, playing. Thanks to my love of the sport, my son is doing the same. That’s three generations of cricket fans and I hope the line will continue!

When I was younger, Yorkshire represented the heart of cricket to me. I’ll always remember ‘Botham’s Ashes’ in 1981 when cricket star Sir Ian Botham scored a famous knock of 149 at Headingley and inspired England to a historic victory after they looked down and out. England went on to beat Australia in the Ashes series 3-1.

Botham was an inspiration to me. He was always willing to take a chance and that is what I consider to be the secret to his success. He was a natural winner who wasn’t willing to give up until he made it. This spurred me on to become captain of various cricket teams later in life.

One of my favourite memories is winning the second team league. From then on my motto has been to never give up until you succeed! Sport has many lessons for business and I can’t help but think Botham would have made a great entrepreneur if he hadn’t made it as a sportsman.

My involvement in cricket has no doubt guided the way I do business. A cricket team is nothing without its players, in the same way that a business cannot succeed without its workforce. Motivating employees and ensuring they feel valued is a key ingredient for success both on the cricket ground and in the office.

As a nation of football lovers, I often get asked why I prefer cricket. For one thing a test match is played out over five days, with both teams having to adjust their strategies as the game ebbs and flows. In my opinion, the management of a cricket team is a lot more technical than the role of a football manager and that’s what makes the game so interesting.

Cricket is much more social too and from a business point of view has always helped me to network and make valuable contacts.

Of course, in my opinion, David Beckham has nothing on Yorkshire-born Geoffrey Boycott who established himself as one of England’s most successful opening batsmen. For me, Boycott personifies true Yorkshire grit and determination and today I enjoy listening to his no-nonsense commentating.

While I spend my weekends watching the sport with my dad, my son is holding the family baton on the field. The dream? For the three of us to take to the field one day, with a little grandson in tow!