2020 ANNUAL REPORT

23 CRICKET REPORT highly impressive too.Their advice and support carry real weight, and they’ve built good, strong relation- ships with the lads in the Academy and age-group setups. Before the pandemic so disrupted our season, Matt was able to accompany three young batsmen on a trip to India.The experiences that Sam Seecharan, BenWilcox and Ben Martindale gained on that trip will have been invaluable – learning to play in different conditions, adapt to some tricky turning wickets and get a handle on life on tour.There’s no doubt that the trio will have returned as better cricketers – and I’m sure as more independent characters too. The opportunities that the girls in our setup were able to access this year – while vastly reduced in comparison to a more ordinary year – were equally crucial. Our U13, U15 and U17 teams were all able to take to the field, ensuring that the momentum that is beginning to be built behind the women and girls’ game was not lost. Strong performances from the likes of Eleanor Owen (U13), Ruby Neal (U15), Ella Porter (U17) and Charlotte Basdell (U17) were heartening to see. With the increased profile the women’s game now enjoys, and an ever-expanding pool of professional players, these girls now have the chance to pursue their talents as far as they will take them. When it comes to the cricket setup we have atTrent Bridge, it’s impossible to look at one side, or one age-group, in isolation.Whether we are working with a teenager taking their first steps in the game, or a stalwart of our home dressing room, the aims are the same – to give them the coaching, the advice and the freedom they need to become successful, independent performers. From a fourteen-year-old making his debut for the under 18s to Jake Ball returning to the England fold – the achievements of our players may look different on the surface, but they each provide us with the same pride and satisfaction. Those journeys to success are never straightforward – we can’t expect every youngster to make the grade, or every competition to end in victory. All we can do is provide the conditions that we believe will allow cricketers to perform at their best. More than anything, we hope you are able to join us in person next summer to go on that journey with us.