2021 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2021 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 10 and the first appearance at Trent Bridge of theTrent Rockets. Despite cynicism in some quarters, it was a huge commercial success with excellent crowds for each of the four games at Trent Bridge.The Hundred is a significant source of much-needed revenue to the game and theTreas- urer, Paul Ellis, has expanded upon its impact on our finances in his report. Whilst The Hundred and the Royal London Cup continue to occupy a period of midsummer, we worked with the ECB to organise a fixture schedule for 2022 that will hopefully give greater prominence to the red- ball game in the summer months, reflecting the concerns expressed by county members and the England Test team. By far the most satisfying aspect of the introduction of The Hundred to the playing schedule is the much greater profile given to the women’s game. It was an absolute joy to see attendances in the thousands for the women’s Rockets team and the accompanyingTV coverage should drive participation levels exponen- tially higher.This is wonderful news for the development of women’s cricket, and we look forward to see- ing it go from strength to strength in the years to come. On the international front, at very short notice, we were given the all- clear to be a test event for a near capacity attendance at theVitality IT20 between England and Pakistan in mid-July.With over 400 runs scored, Pakistan ran out winners by 31 runs and we were able to demon- strate our ability to get 17,000 spectators in and out of the ground smoothly and without any significant Covid risk.The experience gleaned from thisT20 was very helpful in informing everyone at the club of what was required when we hosted the first Test in England’s series against India in early August. In a thrilling, closely-fought contest, we were able to witness a memorable captain’s century from Joe Root and subsequently an old-fashioned opening partnership of real skill and determination from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to withstand some outstanding new-ball bowling from the England attack. Unfortunately, continuous rain intervened on the fifth day to prevent a conclusive result, but it was a marvellous start to a hard-fought series. When reviewing the season, it would be very remiss if I did not mention the immense contribution made by Steve Birks and the groundstaff. Preparing so many pitches, often within a very limited timescale, is a significant challenge, not least given the limited number of strips usable forTV games. Steve and his team rose to the challenge and delivered outstanding pitches that were sympathetic to both bat and ball, and they deserve our sincere thanks. Without their dedication in adverse conditions, we would not have beaten Worcestershire, for example, in the County Championship. As I touched on earlier in my report, a key consideration for the ECB and the First-Class Counties this year has been the timing of the return to a two divisional County Champion- ship and the subsequent composition of those two divisions. Another priority has been the running and staging of the inaugural Hundred competition, for whichTrent Bridge is the home venue of the Trent Rockets and the club receives a stag- ing fee for hosting matches, as well as revenue from other commercial income streams. During the latter part of 2021, it became clear that the greatest challenge facing cricket at all levels is undoubtedly the scourge of racism. If our sport is not perceived as a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds, irrespective of their race, religion, gender or class, its very existence could come under threat.Without the lifeblood of young people joining in to become the players, officials, administrators and spectators of the future, then the game is doomed to wither on the vine. It may take some years, but this would be an inevitable outcome of cricket failing to be inclusive to “ IF OUR SPORT IS NOT PERCEIVED AS A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR RACE, RELIGION, GENDER OR CLASS, ITS VERY EXISTENCE COULD COME UNDER THREAT. ” Jeffrey Moore