Nottinghamshire CCC is saddened to hear of the passing of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh was known to love cricket, an affection which began at an early age as captain of Gordonstoun School’s first team, and continued into later life as a patron of the Lord’s Taverners, a charity which supports youth cricket.
His Royal Highness was a distinguished guest during the England vs New Zealand Test Match at Trent Bridge in 2008, when he opened the new Bridgford Road stand. The opening was part of an £8 million revamp of the ground which took the ground’s capacity from 15,358 to more than 17,000.
He also accompanied the Queen on a visit to the stadium during a tour to mark her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.
The Duke played a role in introducing the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy, and held a reception at Buckingham Palace for the winners of the County Championship each year.
Director of Cricket Mick Newell met Prince Philip on three separate occasions, as a result of his successes with Nottinghamshire in the Championship, first as a player in 1987, and later as Notts’ coach in 2005 and 2010.
"It was one of the highlights of winning the County Championship. You knew a month later you are going to visit Buckingham Palace, and it is exciting to meet Prince Philip," he said.
"We were there for about 90 minutes. He knew why we there and how we won the competition, certain games that were key in the winning of it. The women’s team in later years would get invited as well, so there were a lot of people there.
"But he seemed to be able to talk to anyone, from 19-year-old cricketers to 65-year-old committee members.
"You were not quite sure what you were going to say to him, and a lot of people were nervous, but he had this way of talking to you. He could make anyone feel comfortable in that environment."