2022 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2022 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 54 Paterson and Brett Hutton should also be praised for their workloads and performances with the ball throughout the season. Both made sizeable contributions to help Notts take 20 wickets on a regular basis, as the performances of the bowling unit set high standards for all to emulate moving forward. Meanwhile, Mr Newell continued, the homegrown trio of Lyndon James, Liam Patterson-White and Joey Evison were to be commended on their successful breakthroughs into the first team during the season.They had vindicated the club’s decision not to sign a second overseas player in what proved to be a solitary full season of cricket played outside of the two-divisional structure, which would be returning in 2022.The challenges associated with re-earning a place in the side, and making further telling contributions, were continuing to drive each of them – as indeed they were the whole Notts squad – as pre-season moved outdoors within the marquee facility at Lady Bay for a third successive year. Mr Newell stated that the club’s red-ball side had continued to be well led by Steven Mullaney; an individual who lived and breathed the game and who had brought complete commitment to Notts for well over a decade. Mr Newell believed that Steven was deserving of every success because of the pressure he put himself under and his great determination for the club to succeed.The Director of Cricket observed that progress as a squad in recent times had been testament to the leadership he had shown, as well as that of Peter Moores and the rest of the coaching team. Naturally, the club had been disappointed by the decision that saw Notts placed in the second division for the forthcoming season. However, taking confidence from the performances produced last year, Mr Newell was now placing a firm focus on regaining a place in the top tier, and the team were particularly looking forward to playing in front of members for the duration of the season after that wasn’t possible during the early stages of 2021. In the Vitality Blast, the team had once again performed strongly in the group stages; winning nine and, remarkably, tying three of 14 group stage games. The consistency of performance shown in the T20 format in recent years had been unmatched by any other team in the country, and that, Mr Newell remarked, was to the credit of everyone involved. In the home quarter-final against Hampshire, Mr Newell said that the team had let themselves down in the run chase. He hoped vital lessons had been learned as all at the club set their sights on further success the following year. With the majority of first choice players unsurprisingly selected to take part inThe Hundred, Mr Newell recalled that the club’s Royal London Cup campaign had provided an opportunity to blood some promising young players, and there had been many encouraging performances despite narrowly missing out on a place in the knock- out rounds. Mr Newell’s highlights of the competition had included the emergence of Fateh Singh, who showed remarkable confidence and ability for a player making his debut at the age of 17. Fateh had since spent the early part of 2022 in the England setup for the U19World Cup, and he looked set for a bright future in the game. Mr Newell believed that Notting- hamshire’s 50-over cricket had also been notable for the continuation of Ben Slater’s remarkable career record that saw him averaging 56 in the List A game. Mr Newell believed that the club’s youthful 50-over side had, alongside the Second XI in the early parts of the season, been strongly led by PeterTrego during what proved to be the final season of his distin- guished 22-year career. Peter had been the consummate professional during his two seasons with the club. Mr Newell said the club had been grateful for his presence, albeit for a short period of time, and wished him all the best for the future. Mr Newell also voiced his best wishes to two players who also featured within that limited-overs side, Ben Compton andTom Barber, for their future careers after they had departed the club at the end of the previous season. Mr Newell went on to suggest that the 50-over competition would continue to provide a platform for players of promise during the ongoing development of the Nottinghamshire squad. Particularly in light of the final being played at Trent Bridge, there was an ambition to still be competing when the tournament reached its business end.