2022 ANNUAL REPORT

MINUTES OF THE 2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 51 In the County Championship, Mr Moore recalled that the players had performed magnificently to end up finishing in third place. If it hadn’t been for the points carried over from the two matches that had been lost against fellow qualifiers from the conference stage,Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire would have been crowned champions. Mick Newell and Peter Moores would cover the playing season during the cricket report, however, Mr Moore stated that he would share some of his personal high- lights: The incredible catches by Dane Paterson at Derby and against Lancashire, together with his 54 First-Class wickets at an average of below 18; Stuart Broad’s fantastic effort bowling at home on day four againstWarwickshire, which had been sadly to no avail in a losing cause; Steven Mullaney scoring a century against Essex, which had been memorable to Mr Moore for being on his birthday; and the breakthroughs into first team cricket made by Liam Patterson-White, Joey Evison and Lyndon James. Mr Moore gave his congratulations to Peter Moores and his players and coaching staff for what had been achieved in 2021. Mr Moore reflected that, while cricket is a team game, it was appropriate to single out the contribution of ‘the Bulwell Bomber’, Luke Fletcher, who had summoned unbelievable reserves of energy, resolve and skill to take 66 wickets at an average of 14.9 and thereby earned the much-deserved plaudits of his peers and the press. In recognition of his 14 years of loyal service, the club had decided to award Luke a testimonial year in 2023. Despite finishing third in the top division in the final standings for 2021, Notts would be in Division Two next season.This was because, in the absence of a two-thirds majority vote among the First-Class counties, the status quo of basing the 2022 divisional structure upon 2019 results had been upheld. Mr Moore recalled that, inT20 cricket, Notts had once again been dominant in the group stages, but had contrived to lose against seemingly impossible odds in the quarter-final fixture against Hampshire. As Mr Moore had stated in his written report, the Royal London Cup had a lower profile than in previous years, albeit the 50-over competition had provided Notts with an opportunity to blood more young players. It had also been great to see Ben Slater top the averages in the List A competition as well as in the County Championship. The club would also be able to build on the success of staging this year’s final in 2022 when it would be played on a Saturday, and the finalists would be known further in advance than they had been in 2021. Turning to the inaugural year of The Hundred, Mr Moore acknowledged that there remained scepticism in some quarters about its validity, not least due to its perceived impact upon the Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup. He would confine his comments to highlighting the major positives fromThe Hundred’s introduction. Firstly, at a time when the game was in increasing competition with other sports for income, it was vital for cricket to maximise its revenues andThe Hundred had been a huge commercial success. Mr Moore stated that the game’s broadcast partners were great believers inThe Hundred and reminded those present about the considerable resources they provide to all of the First-Class counties. Secondly, Mr Moore stated that it had been marvellous to see how The Hundred and the decision to stage double headers for men and women had led to vast crowds being in attendance for the women’s matches. He believed that The Hundred was a tremendous advert for the women’s game and that the Trent Rockets women’s team being so well supported, coupled with the more diverse demographic of that audience, augured very well for the future of the women’s game. Mr Moore referred those present to page ten of the 2021 Annual Report for his coverage of the international matches at Trent Bridge in 2021. Those paragraphs outlined the results and key contributions in the Test Match.That, however, did not do justice to the endeavour involved in staging those games. With ever-changing guidance and last-minute alterations to pandemic related restrictions and protocols, it had been almost unimaginable that Trent Bridge would be able to stage those games with near capacity crowds.The club had done so thanks to the immeasurable dedication and goodwill of the club’s volunteers and staff. Mr Moore wished to thank, most profoundly, the Chief Executive Lisa Pursehouse and each of the club’s full-time, part-time, casual and volunteer staff for their immense contributions before, dur- ing and after the two international matches. Mr Moore shared particular praise for the contribution of the club’s Head Groundsman, Steve Birks, for the volume and quality of the pitches provided during the course of the season.