2023 ANNUAL REPORT

MINUTES OF THE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 57 The club retained an ambition to win this competition, having been three games away from doing so in 2022, and with the incentive of Trent Bridge hosting the final remaining strong. Beneath the first team, Notts’ Second XI and Academy enjoyed a positive year. Paul Franks, Richard Damms and MattWood continued to raise the standards at this level, so that players of promise were well-equipped to take the step up to the first team. The Second XI featured an exciting crop of young talent, and exposure to that level of cricket would fast- track their development.  Meanwhile, as women’s cricket continued to go through an inspiring change nationally, to become the base for East Midlands’ women’s regional cricket [withThe Blaze makingTrent Bridge their home] was hugely exciting. The club had embraced their arrival – Mr Newell wanted them to feel that Trent Bridge was their home – and in moving from Loughborough, the team had already attracted players of a high calibre to join them. It remained a priority, however, to see a strong core of Nottingham- shire players in Blaze squads. Four had achieved that feat at senior level, whilst six more were onThe Blaze’s Academy. One of those, MaddieWard, was part of England’s squad for the ICC U19Women’s World Cup in South Africa, who finished runners-up to India. Many of those playing for The Blaze also represented teams inThe Hundred, which continued to be a popular event at Trent Bridge.  Mr Newell was pleased to see games in that competition so well attended once again, and he looked forward to being part of the management team as Trent Rockets sought to retain their men’s trophy, and better their third-place finish in the women’s competition, next year. Players from the county had also made great strides in representative cricket. Since last year’s AGM, Fateh Singh and MaddieWard had played for their respective England U19 sides, Liam Patterson-White, Haseeb Hameed and Lyndon James had represented England Lions, and Stuart Broad, Ben Duckett, Alex Hales and Olly Stone had played for England’s senior men’s team in red and white-ball cricket. At U15 boys’ level, six boys from the county had represented the Midlands: Farhan Ahmed,Toby Lambert, Said Ali, Usman Minas, Byron Hatton-Lowe and Akand Gangotra.Travis Holland, mean- while, played for the Midlands at U17 level in the Super 4s. The Director of Cricket said that great credit should go to those players for their commitment, but so too to the coaches and environ- ment at Trent Bridge which allowed them to showcase the best versions of themselves.  Looking forward, the club’s ambition was to compete on all fronts over the coming seasons, and the backing of members and supporters was crucial in that endeavour. Mr Newell concluded by placing on record his gratitude for the interest taken in Nottinghamshire andTrent Bridge, and hoped that a prosperous 2023 awaited. He then invited the Head Coach, Peter Moores, to speak. Mr Moores began by saying that it was always exciting to be on the eve of another season with the expectation of what would unfold over the coming months. He drew members’ attention to an England Test team revitalised under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, playing a style of cricket that excites the public and inspires players. Mr Moores was sure he was not alone in enjoying watching Ben Duckett establish himself as an international player, along with Olly Stone and the ever-reliable Stuart Broad.This, along with having three players representing England Lions this winter, would form the back- drop for what promised to be a very exciting summer. The emergence of players both internationally and domestically was a good indicator of progress over the last few seasons. In Lyndon James and Liam Patterson-White, Mr Moores said, the club had two players who had progressed through the Notts system to star in the first team, while Haseeb Hameed had gone from strength to strength over the last few years. All three had their best years in front of them and would be looking to push on in the coming months.  The winter programme had gone well, and the first team were now in their final phase of preparation on grass in the marquee at Lady Bay. Notts had found this an excellent way to prepare, with practice closely mirroring the conditions experienced in the season. It also allowed the team’s progression into a competitive mindset to be more gradual, reducing the risk of injury, especially to seam bowlers.  The challenge of the First Division now lay in wait. Mr Moores believed that Notts were ready for this challenge, with a settled team who had enjoyed considerable success over the last two seasons. Competition for places would again be fierce in 2023, with players such as Matthew Montgomery develop- ing impressively towards the end of last season.The Head Coach also expected Broad, Duckett and Stone to be available for the majority of the first phase of Championship matches, which would be a chance to make an early statement as a team.  The way Notts had played their Championship cricket had matched the current trend being embodied by the EnglandTest team, said Mr Moores. In the last two years, Notts had a higher boundary percentage, and had won more matches, than any other county, which should give confidence that the club could be competitive regardless of the step up in quality in the First Division. This confidence should not be mistaken for arrogance; rather, it was a belief that the players had shown that they were ready to compete at that level.