Colin appointed as commercial manager

September 6, 2021

COLIN Walters has been appointed as commercial manager of Suffolk Cricket.

The 64-year-old, who is currently captain of the county’s Over-60s side, takes up his new role with immediate effect.

Colin spent 46 years working in the downstream oil industry, initially 12 with British Petroleum, followed by 12 with Kuwait Petroleum (Q8) and finally 22 with ExxonMobil in Territory and Account Management, latterly selling lubricating oil to Arab shipping companies.

Although he was born in Hertfordshire, Colin has been living in Suffolk on and off for nearly 30 years, playing for Sudbury CC since 1994 except for a spell at Tendring CC between 2017 and 2020.

He has skippered both Suffolk Over-50s and Over-60s, scoring just under 4,000 runs for the Seniors’ sides at an average of 40 and winning the league and cup double with the Home Counties side in 2015.

A Level 2 coach, Colin was instrumental in setting up and latterly Chairman of Borders Cricket – a Haverhill-based cricket coaching organisation which also ran local junior leagues and was heavily involved in coach development.

This has helped produced several Suffolk county cricketers including current captain Jack Beaumont.

Colin has also administered several new coaching courses producing at least 50 new Level 1 coaches and organised three overseas Seniors’ tournaments in Dubai, Sri Lanka and Kenya with one to follow in Bermuda in the spring of 2022.

He said: “Suffolk CCC punches well above its weight in performance terms on the field from the senior side through to the ladies and girls, boys and seniors, but there are opportunities to explore on the commercial side which will enable Suffolk Cricket to further develop cricket in the county.

“Suffolk Cricket is one of the largest and most wide-reaching sporting organisations in the county, alongside Ipswich Town FC and Ipswich Witches speedway.

“Many successful Suffolk-based commercial organisations would enjoy the opportunity of being both associated with and helping to promote Suffolk Cricket’s activities.

“My new role as commercial manager will be to find and work with the best partners to ensure the future health of cricket in the county.”

Suffolk Cricket Secretary Toby Pound said: “We are delighted that Colin has agreed to assist in co-ordinating and expanding the huge potential within Suffolk Cricket for sponsorship and commercial activity.

“In recent years, we have developed a strong identity and brand through the success of our county representative teams from Under-11s though to Over-70s, boys and girls, and men’s and women’s through the hard work of our Operations team in developing cricket within the county.

“Colin’s considerable experience in the commercial world will help us to build on these successes.”

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