Former captain Geoff Cook inducted into Northamptonshire Hall of Fame

Cook has been named as the latest inductee following a vote by members of the supporters’ club, and he joins other Wantage Road greats including former team-mates Colin Milburn, Jim Watts, David Steele, Mushtaq Mohammad, Allan Lamb, Bishan Bedi and David Capel.

The 72-year-old holds the record for appearances for Northants across all formats, having played for the club an incredible 774 times - with 376 of them as captain.

He scored more than 29,000 runs for the club between 1971 and 1990, hitting 37 centuries along the way, and was also skipper for eight years between 1981 and 1988, the second-longest serving captain of the club behind Tom Horton, who led the club from 1896 to 1906.

“It’s a marvellous honour to be invited to join the many legendary cricketers who make up the Hall of Fame at Wantage Road," said Middlesbrough-born Cook, who initially came to Northampton as a trialist in 1968.

“It was such a pleasure to uproot from the north-east all those years ago, jump on a train and join numerous other players from my part of the country at Northampton.

“The records may show that trophies have been rare, but for me the most remarkable thing about Northamptonshire is the number of world-class cricketers who have been attracted to the club.

“It’s an incredible figure considering we were always known as a 'small club' – too many to name but plenty to ponder. Great memories indeed.”

Cook made his first-class debut for Northants in 1971, and went on to form a memorable and destructive opening partnership with Wayne Larkins, the pair being nicknamed 'The Old Firm'.

As captain, Cook led Northants to three Lord's one-day finals, agonisingly losing them all.

He scored a century in the first, a NatWest Trophy Final against Derbyshire in 1981, only for the match to end in a tie, with Derby winning it by virture of having lost fewer wickets.

In 1987, Cook led the County into the Benson & Hedges Cup Final and another NatWest Trophy showpiece at Lord's.

Against Yorkshire in the B&H, Northants once again lost by virtue of losing fewer wickets following a tie, while in the NatWest final Notts recovered from 84 for five chasing 229, only to beat the County by three wickets with just three balls to spare.

Cook, who made seven Test match appearances for England, left the club in 1990 to head home to Durham where he became director of cricket in 1991.

Later, as head coach, he oversaw a period of sustained on-field success for Durham with three Championship titles, and during his time at the helm mentored a generation of outstanding cricketers in the north-east including Ben Stokes, Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood.

He was also inducted into the Durham Hall of Fame last year.

Cook's special Hall of Fame plaque, outlining his contribution to Northants and the wider game, will take its place of honour alongside the others in the entrance to the Spencer Pavilion.