New Zealand international cricketer Jimmy Neesham has shared his growing love for Durham and the UK lifestyle, since signing for Durham Cricket in May, ahead of the 2025 Vitality Blast campaign.
Jimmy, 34, is a highly experienced player closing in on 300 T20 appearances, who has brought a wealth of skill and knowledge with both bat and ball to Durham, having scored over 4000 runs and taken almost 250 wickets in the shortest format.
The destructive middle-order batter, who has 83 international T20 appearances to his name, visited Croxdale Group Durham, after the dealership, which has been running since 1967, entered a partnership with the Chester-Le-Street side until the completion of the 2026 season.
The dealership has supplied the New Zealand international with a sporty red Alfa Romeo Stelvio for his travels around the UK while he is playing for Durham.
Speaking of his time with the Durham Cricket Team so far – and his other sporting love of golf – Jimmy says: “It’s been great – it’s obviously a tight knit group up in the North of England, far away from a few of the other cricket clubs in the UK.
“We’ve spent a lot of time on the bus together travelling to different grounds.
“I’ve played quite a bit of golf between matches and have driven up to Scotland to play there. That’s my go-to for unwinding in between games. I’ve also driven to six or seven different golf courses around Durham and I’m really enjoying that.”
Jimmy described how the team live as neighbours and go out for meals together.
“We’ve got very tight and I think it’s a good, down-to-earth group,” he says.
“We get the job done and enjoy each other’s company.”
And getting the job done is exactly what the team is doing right now, with several wins under their belts since the start of the Vitality Blast campaign.
“Of course, everything is better when you’re winning!” jokes Jimmy, ahead of Durham’s fixture with Leicestershire Foxes.
“We’ve had an almost perfect start to the competition so far, with a variety of different guys performing well and contributing to wins.
“We are quite well-placed, with four games to go and we’re pushing for a home quarter-final. Once we get there, we can hopefully push on to the end of the competition.”
With the goal to get a home quarter-final in sight, Jimmy explains the club is currently second in the group with four games to go and adds “if we can win two or three, of our last four, it will put us in a good position to put ourselves in front of a good Durham home crowd at the quarter-final stage”.
Speaking of the Durham cricket supporters, he adds, they are simply “great”.
“There have been a few pretty cold days at the stadium but everyone still turns out in their big coats and beanies!” he says.
“I know the guys appreciate that kind of support and even though we’ve had some long trips, we’ve had some good travelling support, which has been amazing.
“We’d like to repay the fans with a home quarter-final and give them a good show in a few weeks’ time.”
As for his career at 34, In the medium term, Jimmy says he’d like to continue to do the T20 around the world and play international cricket, pushing towards the T20 World Cup in February next year.
“I’ll reassess after that – see how the body is feeling,” he says.
“I’m interested in media post-cricket – I’ve done a couple of stints on the radio back home in New Zealand.”
Speaking of his love of driving and his preference for ICE vehicles over electric, Jimmy says he has been impressed with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio on loan from Alfa Romeo Durham – Croxdale Group, with all its “modern bells and whistles” and safety features keeping him within the speed limit on unfamiliar roads in the UK.
“That’s been really helpful as someone from overseas who doesn’t always know the speed limit,” he says.
“It’s also comfortable on long drives to Scotland and back and has plenty of boot space for the golf clubs.
“It’s a soft ride and I just like to get the tunes on and sing away to myself – the time goes pretty quickly when I’m driving the car.”
Speaking of his visit to Croxdale, which offers Citroen, DS Automobiles, MG, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Leapmotor, as well as a wide range of approved used vehicles, Jimmy says: “I’m happy to be here to have a look around and meet the crew – maybe even look for an upgrade on my car for next year!
“It’s really important for Durham to have good sponsors.
“It’s an international ground that doesn’t get the volume of international cricket that a Surrey or a Nottingham gets and it’s really important to take in local sponsorship.
“Relationships with the likes of Croxdale are really important to the club.”
Durham Cricket Men take on Leicestershire Foxes Men from 6.30pm on Tuesday July 15th as the Vitality Blast campaign continues.
Thinking about your own summer road trip or golf getaway? Book a test drive at Croxdale Group and find out why Jimmy Neesham’s loving his Alfa Romeo Stelvio, visit www.croxdalegroup.com