Subscriber login Close [x]
remember me
You are not logged in.

Botham, Atherton and Gooch lead Lord's cricket celebration with Hardys wine

Published:  16 July, 2014

Legends from across cricket came together last night at Lord's to take part in a special trade dinner to mark the ground's 200 year anniversary and Hardys brand sponsorship of English cricket.

Cricket legends with Bill Hardy and Paul SchaafsmaCricket legends with Bill Hardy and Paul SchaafsmaFamous cricketing captains joined leading trade figures at a special dinner with Hardys wine at Lord’s. They included from left to right: Mike Atherton, Graham Gooch, Bill Hardy of Hardys wine, Charlotte Edwards, captain of current English cricket team, Paul Schaafsma, Accolade Wine, Sir Ian Botham and Kapil Dev.

Legends from across cricket came together last night at Lord's to take part in a special trade dinner to mark the ground's 200 year anniversary and Hardys brand sponsorship of English cricket.

The night was billed as an evening with five great captains of cricket, chosen to complement the five generations of family that have been involved in making the iconic Australian wine brand, Hardys, owned and distributed in the UK by Accolade Wines.

On the wine side Bill Hardy, fifth generation winemaker of the business, travelled from Australia to officially host the evening and take the guests through a selection of Hardys finest wines.

In between Michael Atherton, former England captain and now Sky TV commentator and Times cricket correspondent, interviewed fellow England cricket legends, Sir Ian Botham and Graham Gooch, India's Kapil Dev and the current captain of the women's England cricket team, Charlotte Edwards.

Atherton took the opportunity to quiz the guests on what it takes to make a good cricket captain, assessing the unique pressures they are under, using the current problems facing the current England cricket captain, Alistair Cook, as an example.

As well as reminiscing about past cricketing exploits both on, and in Sir Ian's case, off the field, the five cricket legends also paid their own personal tributes to the quality of not only Hardys wine but the other leading Australian wine families that they had got to know through their cricket careers travelling to the country.

Sir Ian is particularly well placed to comment as he still makes his own Australian wine alongside former English fast bowler, Bob Willis and Australian winemaker,  Geoff Merrill.

He told Harpers.co.uk that it was particularly fitting that a brand as old as Hardys, which dates back to 1853, should be involved with English cricket at a time when Lord's, the official home of cricket, is celebrating its bicentenary.

Sir Ian has also been signed up by Accolade to act as a brand ambassador for Hardys through its three-year partnership Accolade has signed with the England and Wales Cricket  Board for Hardys to be the official wine of English cricket.

As part of its sponsorship Hardys was given exclusive access to host a special trade dinner in the famous Long Room at Lord's.

Keywords: