DURHAM County Cricket Club’s all-conquering team enjoyed their second day out at Buckingham Palace to be formally presented with the county championship trophy.

About a dozen members of the championship-winning squad, including Dale Benkenstein and Callum Thorp, travelled to London to receive the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy, alongside women’s champions Kent.

After lunch with Lord’s Taverners’ president Chris Tarrant, the team made the short journey to Buckingham Palace for a reception hosted by HRH Duke of Edinburgh.

The royal occasion was extra special for captain Will Smith, who missed last year’s Palace presentation for Durham’s first LV County Championship win due to tour commitments.

He said: “It’s an important thing for all the lads, but maybe more so for me because I missed out last year and it is an extraordinary privilege.

“It’s days like these which make all the effort that went into the season worthwhile.

“It was great to lift the trophy in front of our home fans but this is obviously a great privilege for the players and whole coaching staff – I just wish all the supporters could come down with us.”

After a decade as the whipping boys of first-class cricket, Durham won the county championship by a whisker on the last day of the 2007-08 season, then comfortably defended their title this time around.

However, the skipper said the club would not be resting on its laurels for the coming season.

He said: “It’s going to be tough, but we will be ready for the challenge.

“We started thinking about it immediately this season finished.”