2022 ANNUAL REPORT

MINUTES OF THE 2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 57 The Chief Executive, Lisa Purse- house, began by observing that at the 2021 AGM, she had found herself delivering her speech through a screen within the echoing confines of an otherwise empty Boundary’s Edge Suite. Communicating in that manner had become so normalised that standing in front of so many people was the strangest thing she had done in a while! So much had changed in the last two years, Ms Pursehouse continued, and she predicted that it would continue to do so during the emergence from restrictions as individuals got used to living their lives again. However, she wanted take a moment to reflect and be thankful as she looked ahead. Ms Pursehouse said that sport has the power to bring people together, and stated her view that everyone should endeavour to do what they can to restore normality and rebuild connections with the people and places that had been missed during the course of the pandemic. That Trent Bridge would host every format of the domestic game in 2022, as well as women’s cricket in two competitions and red- and white-ball contests internationally, was something to look forward to and be enjoyed. And, while the make-up of the calendar for the coming season represented the game’s best endeav- ours to find the right balance, Ms Pursehouse predicted that it would doubtless be subject to further debate in the near future. More four-day cricket was scheduled for the summer months than had been the case in recent years and, as the fallout from another Ashes series defeat continued, attention would inevitably focus on the ‘failures’ of the domestic game. Ms Pursehouse stated that finding the balance between the playing and scheduling of the white-ball game and the associated commercial benefits necessary to sustain 18 First- Class counties, whilst minimising the marginalisation of the red-ball game, would continue to be a significant challenge. A high summer slot would remain a fixed requirement for The Hundred which, in its inaugural year, succeeded in capturing a new audience, as well as generating significant revenue for the game through broadcast, ticketing and merchandising. With prime-time BBC slots supple- menting the established Sky Sports coverage, Ms Pursehouse revealed that The Hundred was watched by a television audience in excess of 16 million; 4 million of whom tuned in for fixtures at Trent Bridge. Ms Pursehouse shared the fact that over half of those who secured seats for the tournament had never previously done so for a game at Trent Bridge, and that a quarter of those who purchased tickets were women. The unplanned, though highly successful, double header fixtures had raised the profile of the women’s game exponentially; helping drive growth in girls’ participation as new sporting heroes were created. Ms Pursehouse observed that there were undoubtedly positive outcomes brought about by The Hundred as we seek to grow the game and build a new generation of cricket members and supporters. However, she highlighted the fact that many existing supporters were also asking; ‘how do we continue to nurture and develop the other formats of the game that we love?’ Ms Pursehouse acknowledged that binding together the needs of a new and an existing audience was challenging for any organisation, but that the club’s endeavours to do so would continue because cricket is a sport that can appeal to all and that was something that needed to be preserved. She added that as we strive to win promotion back to Division One of the County Championship, this debate was very much front of mind; both as a county club that made significant strides in red-ball cricket during the previous year, but also as a venue that relied onTest cricket for its ongoing sustainability. Alongside refocusing upon conun- drums with which cricket had been grappling for some time, a return to post-Covid normality had brought with it a tranche of mainstream societal issues from which Ms Pursehouse highlighted that the sport had not been immune. The return of crowds had brought widespread problems of anti-social behaviour, which the club was committed to stamping out to protect the unique atmosphere of Trent Bridge for staff, players, members and supporters. In addition, every one of the game’s institutions was quite rightly under intense scrutiny in relation to their approach to equity, diversity and inclusion. The game’s commitment to a five- point, 12-action plan to tackle discrimination in all its forms was wide reaching and focussed on delivering targeted and measurable outcomes that would impact on all areas of operation.The whole of cricket had signed up to this plan and Ms Pursehouse revealed that all county clubs had been tasked with producing a local EDI plan by 31 May. The Chief Executive added that to make cricket in Nottinghamshire progressively more welcoming and diverse, it was critical to develop a