ANNUAL REPORT 2019

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2019 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 54 seen a lot of hard work from the players and coaching staff.Winters had changed a lot during his time as a coach, and the emergence of franchise cricket had seen players playing all over the world. Harry Gurney enjoyed an unbelievable experience by being part of the winning Melbourne Renegades side in the BBL, and several other squad members would have learned much through their winter experiences overseas.This was now part of the cricketing calendar and something which had to be accepted and managed, to ensure players were fit and ready to go at the start of the English season. As well as their own specific areas, there was a strong emphasis on improving fitness levels across the squad.This was aimed at improving fielding and running between the wickets – two key areas identified for improvement after defeats in the two white-ball quarter-finals the previous season. The older end of the Academy had also been involved in training with the professionals, to expose them to the standard required and help them bridge the gap to the next level.The recent Academy tour to India had shown the improvement in some of the club’s better young- sters, which was exciting for the future. Looking ahead to the new season, Mr Moores stated that the squad looked fresh and exciting, with an injection of new players from out- side the club set to blend with the current staff. Steven Mullaney, in his second season as Captain, would now know what to expect after his experiences the previous year. Meanwhile, the size of the staff still meant there would be opportunities for young- sters as the long, tough season progressed. Stuart Broad should be available more than usual in the first half of the season, with theWorld Cup taking place, which should be a tremendous boost to everyone. There was still the announcement of the overseas player for the season, which had been ongoing for some time. Someone had already been signed, although the club was waiting for confirmation of availability from his governing body. The team’s goals would be similar to before – with the aim being to compete in all three formats.The squad’s white-ball batting looked very exciting, with several naturally aggressive players in the setup, and the bowling attack was set to consist of more variety, providing everyone could keep fit. The opportunity to win a trophy early would be there again, with the final of the Royal London One-Day Cup at the end of May. It would be wonderful to be able to repeat the team’s feat of 2017 and have a day out at Lord’s again. He expected the Championship would again be a tough competi- tion, with Surrey, rightly, starting as favourites, but with Jake Ball back fit and Stuart Broad available, the Nottinghamshire attack should have more bite.With Paul Coughlin back from injury and Zak Chappell added to the squad, he believed the team would start with more bowling options. Luke Fletcher continued to progress as a cricketer and Mr Moores was expecting some real selection headaches – providing everyone was fit and available. The goal was to play the exciting cricket that members wanted to watch and the team wanted to play. The new signings reflected this, in that they were all aggressive in their nature, either with bat or ball. If there was a challenge with younger players it was normally with regards to consistency, and this was an area to be aware of and to work hard on. This would mean that, at various times, every member of the squad would have to step up and deliver their skill when it was their time to perform. As Mr Moores said before, no one could guarantee the team would win, though what was within their control was that everyone would give everything for each other and the club when they played. If this could be achieved, then the winning would look after itself and, whatever the outcome, everyone would know that the team gave it their all. With a small staff creating oppor- tunities for younger players, Mr Moores had been very excited during the winter months to watch how much people had progressed. Following a question raised by Mr R Day in regard to the bowling attack in four-day cricket, Mr Moores commented that Matt Carter was an attacking spinner whose line and length had improved with the help of coach Ant Botha. It was such a shame he had been injured toward the end of the season as Mr Moores believed he would have played more matches. There was a case for changing things in 2019 and including two spinners in a bowling attack for Championship cricket. Mr A Palfreyman asked what the club’s reaction was to the changes of the domestic structure.Was it driven by finance? Mr Newell replied that the fixture schedule this year was impacted by theWorld Cup and the fact that Trent Bridge was one of the venues hosting its games early in the tournament. In addition, the 2019 Royal London One-Day Cup would be played before theWorld Cup. This was the reason that a County