2020 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2020 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 46 behind the coaches and the team and give them every support for the forthcoming season. Away from First XI cricket, Mr Tennant expressed that the major matches hosted at Trent Bridge in 2019 were a great success. An exciting ODI between England and Pakistan was followed by a memorable run of five fixtures in the ICC CricketWorld Cup. The world-class cricket on show – together with the passionate support of visiting nations from around the world – made the tourna- ment an event to look back upon with fond memories. In addition,Trent Bridge was showcased on the world stage to many millions of people. The club’s staff worked incredibly hard to ensure that Trent Bridge was presented in the best light and, as always, the stewards were highly praised for the way in which they conducted themselves. Winning the award for ‘Warmest Welcome’ for the second successive year at the Business of Cricket Awards ceremony was testament to the image portrayed by the club, its volunteers and its public-facing staff. Financially, 2019 was a challenging year. Mr Tennant remarked that this may be something that surprised some members, given the high- profile nature of the club’s major match allocation. However, the financial model in place for theWorld Cup differed greatly from that of Test Match cricket, meaning that – as ever – a year without a red-ball international fixture was always going to impact significantly on the club’s bottom line. Nonetheless, the Chairman was able to report a small pre-tax profit, more about which would be discussed in the Financial Report. Certainty of supply inTest cricket until 2024 was of critical importance and had allowed the club to plan its financial future accordingly. Maxim- ising revenue – both from domestic cricket and additional streams such as the club’s meetings & events business, and its new restaurant, Six – all played a part. Six was a very important venture for the club – one that was not only there to provide incremental non-matchday income, but also to help promote Trent Bridge as a year-round destination, and to raise the profile of its catering offering. Having a top-quality hospitality offering during major matches would certainly prove to be of great benefit toTrent Bridge, both in terms of income and the club’s standing as an international venue. During Six’s opening year of trading, the foundations were laid for a successful business – with the service, location and dining having all received critical acclaim and been lauded as among the best in Nottingham. Following months of discussion, the club completed and signed pivotal new agreements with its governing body, the ECB. These covered the framework agreement forThe Hundred, hosting agreements for major matches and the over-arching County Partnership Agreement. Lisa Pursehouse, the Club’s Chief Executive, played an integral role in helping Nottinghamshire as a county – and indeed the game as a whole – in bringing these arrangements to a successful conclusion. Mr Tennant gave Lisa his sincere thanks for her contribution, both to this project and across the business during a challenging year. The Future Tours Programme, which was in the hands of the ICC, remained a subject the club moni- tored with great interest. Whilst in this country and in Australia,Test Matches – particularly the Ashes – remained hugely popular, it was not always the same elsewhere. The balance between cricket as a traditional sport and as a sustainable, profitable business continued to be a major topic of conversation. This was a challenge facing both international and domestic fixture lists throughout the world game. Finding the right balance would always be difficult and the club would continue to work with relevant partners to lobby for something that – as far as possible – provided the best of both worlds. Mr Tennant reported that the club’s relationship with the recreational game had never been stronger, with the club and the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board working in closer consultation than ever. At the time of the 2020 AGM, the ECB contributed to the finances of the recreational Boards, with their own specific versions of the County Partnership Agreement in place. In close consultation with the board and the ECB, it had been agreed that the Board and the club should work towards merging and becoming a single entity. The date of the merger was still to be confirmed and was pending the result of a Board EGM. However, as and when the process was con- cluded, the result would be that the County Cricket Club would truly be the organisation which had responsibility for all cricket in the county. Mr Tennant said that a point of discussion at every AGM tends to be the club’s future plans for ground development, with the order of priorities for the various projects on which the club wanted to embark continuing to be a talking point. As all those present were aware, the Pavilion was in urgent need of refurbishment, both in terms of the changing rooms and the facilities for members. In addition, the replacement of the William Clarke Stand and a possible development of the Lady Bay site were both required for the club to meet its future ambitions. The club had briefed architects to