GORDON Hollins will step down as chief executive of Somerset County Cricket Club next March after nearly four years with the club. He has advised the club that he wishes to be closer to his family, and he will be relocating to York.    Prior to joining Somerset, Hollins was ECB Managing Director of County Cricket for over 12 years. Hollins said: “I feel privileged to have served such a wonderful club as chief executive and I am proud of what we have achieved together over the last four years.

"This has not been an easy decision to make but for me to live a happy life, I need to see more of my family.

"I would like to thank everyone connected with Somerset Cricket – the Board, the Executive Team, support staff, players, colleagues at the Somerset Cricket Foundation, our wonderful commercial partners, and stakeholders, along with the members and supporters who are the heart and soul of the club.   “I will take with me some precious memories of which the team on and off the field, should be proud, including the winning of the YouTube Sports Channel of the Year Award, the return of members and supporters to the ground in 2021, the strengthening of the club’s relationship with the Foundation and, of course, that tremendous win at Edgbaston in July.

"There is a lot more to do before I leave in March and I am totally committed to completing the strategy for the next five years, progressing our ground development plan and providing further support to Western Storm over the next few months.” Somerset Chair, Sir Michael Barber, commented: “Gordon has been an outstanding chief executive of Somerset. In his years at the helm he has brought us through the massive challenge of the pandemic and the reopening of the ground; ensured the smooth implementation of the new constitution and the establishment of the new Board; paved the way for the men’s cricket team to continue to compete at the top table of English cricket which has included winning the Vitality Blast this season; and done so while ensuring the necessary budgetary discipline through inflationary times.

"Gordon’s reputation around cricket is second to none, his dialogue with the ECB has been vital and his advice to the Board has been consistently good. In addition to this, players and staff admire and respect him.

"We will miss him hugely but absolutely respect his reasons for moving on. He leaves a legacy on which his successor will no doubt be able to build.

"In the meantime, Gordon will be here until next March to ensure a smooth transition into next season.” The search for a successor to Gordon has already begun, with industry recruitment specialists, Brewster McBride, leading the process.