2024 ANNUAL REPORT

21 CRICKET REPORT numerous years, our performances still fell well below par. Fundamentally, we lost players ahead of 2024 who were crucial to our success over a sustained period, and the players entrusted to fill those shoes failed to fully embrace their newfound responsibility on a consistent basis. It was – and is – paramount that we give them a chance to succeed and an opportunity to prove themselves. The teams fielded for each fixture were capable of winning games, but we were unable to produce compre- hensive performances. There were positives to the campaign: Freddie took his opportunity along- side Sammy King atYorkshire, while Liam Patterson-White – who had been kept out of the team by Samit Patel’s longevity – produced multiple commendable contributions. We also saw notable stand-out performances from Olly Stone, Joe Clarke and Calvin Harrison.They displayed the value of experience in the format, which is so crucial to success. Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams will add to that next year. He pos- sesses a unique skillset to that which already exists within the squad and has a star quality which can win us games. He’ll be a valuable sounding board for Joe Clarke as captain, and I have no doubt he has the ability to help us bounce back from a disappoint- ing campaign. I have said before that difficult periods provide fertile ground for growth, and we must learn from this year to return to success again in the coming seasons. Whilst we can’t guarantee qualifica- tion, better performances than those produced this year should certainly be the expectation. In the One Day Cup, we were similarly frustrated. We don’t underestimate the impor- tance of this competition – particu- larly with the prospect of a Trent Bridge final – and the motivation for players to perform is clear, with many desperate to break into the white-ball fold at the club. We lost fewer players toThe Hun- dred than ever which should, on paper, have made us a stronger side, but we were rarely able to prevail in key areas of games, which left us wanting on multiple occasions. Ben Slater was one of few players to take responsibility in a format at which he is so adept, while Hameed also hit nearly 350 runs. A lack of meaningful runs elsewhere, however, inhibited our chances of success. With the ball, while we struggled to truly make up for the absence of Paterson, it was pleasing to see Rob Lord take his opportunity, having displayed the attributes and attitude of a high-ceiling cricketer across that tournament and in the County Championship. As with our 20-over cricket, we must – as a collective – endeavour to learn from our shortcomings this year, so that we are in a space to progress moving forwards. We have the capability, talent and blend of youth and experience to perform better than we did in this competition, and our sights should be set on at least qualifying from the group stages. Elsewhere, it is gratifying to see strong representation from home- grown players on our professional staff at present. 12 of our 25 existing senior players came through the Nottingham- shire County Age Groups and/or Academy – a figure beyond the 40% target we set ourselves. “HE [DANIEL SAMS] POSSESSES A UNIQUE SKILLSET TO THAT WHICH ALREADY EXISTS WITHIN THE SQUAD AND HAS A STAR QUALITY WHICH CAN WIN US GAMES.” Mick Newell