2024 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2024 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 20 “THAT JOE CLARKE AND BEN SLATER MANAGED NEARLY 1,900 RUNS BETWEEN THEM IN ADDITION TO HASEEB’S HAUL, YET WE WERE STILL LEFT LANGUISHING TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE, HAS MUCH TO DO WITH OUR LACK OF FIRST INNINGS RUNS, WHICH MUST BE RECTIFIED.” Mick Newell compromise his contributions at the crease. The trajectory of our First-Class season became clear after our defeat to Durham in August, before which we had the potential to pivot toward either end of the table. Prior to that point, there were performances worthy of mention, including our victory over Lanca- shire at Trent Bridge, hard-fought draws away against Somerset and Warwickshire, and a dominant display atWorcestershire. However, the result in the North East, coupled with a defeat at Essex, meant the campaign finished with a scrap to stay in the division. Ultimately, we produced a fantastic team performance to win in Kent, and backed that up with a solid draw at home toWarwickshire to secure survival; but clearly, this was not a position in which we had hoped to find ourselves at the outset of the season. That Joe Clarke – whose stellar April included two tons and a double hundred – and Ben Slater managed nearly 1,900 runs between them in addition to Haseeb’s haul, yet we were still left languishing towards the bottom of the league, has much to do with our lack of first innings runs, which must be rectified. The addition of Kyle Verreynne, who looked assured in his short stint with us last year, will help in that endeavour next year. With the ball, Dillon Pennington impressed prior to his premature end to the season, and Lyndon James continued to prove his prowess as an all-rounder – which led to the award of a well-earned county cap. He has risen through the ranks at the club to become something of a senior player at a young age, and has shown his ability in all facets of the game at various points. However, the injuries to Pennington, Brett Hutton and Luke Fletcher, as well as international call-ups for Dane Paterson and Olly Stone, left our bowling attack short of the con- sistency needed to be competitive for a sustained period. This was the first ‘regular’ season (i.e not affected by Covid) since 2019 in which a bowler of ours did not register 50 County Champion- ship wickets, and it is no coincidence that this directly correlates with our leanest return of wins since that year. With greater player availability and the introduction of new blood in Conor McKerr (and, for the opening weeks of the season, Fergus O'Neill), we must strive to become more potent with the ball, and return to the form which saw us promoted in 2022 and consolidate our status as a top tier club in 2023. Of course, the influence of McCann and Ahmed on our red-ball season cannot be understated. They represent the most positive aspect of our season, with Freddie notching two hundreds batting at number three, and Farhan becom- ing the youngest bowler to take a County Championship ten-wicket haul. The most telling sign of their read- iness for Division One cricket was the reception they received from those within the dressing room, who wholeheartedly embraced their inclusion in the team. The pair thrived on the trust af- forded to them by staff and players, and have bright futures ahead of them, albeit we must be patient while they continue to mature and develop. In the T20 format, whilst we are transitioning to a side we hope can be capable of taking us forward for