2024 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2024 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 30 highest wicket-taker, and as captain she led from the front. She embodies everything you want in a true leader; she’s committed, inspiring and has an innate ability to unite the team. Her presence and character in the dressing room set her aside as one of the best captains in the women’s game at present. The likes of Lucy Higham, Grace Ballinger, Ella Claridge and Josie Groves also made a difference when it mattered; Grace’s execution and reliability were especially exceptional. Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Glenn, meanwhile, added runs and wickets at key moments, and their availability was crucial. On a day when everyone showed immense resolve and concentration in a high-pressure environment, it was fitting for Heather Graham to hit the winning runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup Final, given the influ- ence our overseas players have had in the past few years. We have been pioneers in this space; attracting players who have made a genuine difference to us as a side on and off the pitch. We’re grateful to Heather, Nadine de Klerk - who hit a spectacular hundred in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy this year - and latterly Orla Prendergast, for the role they’ve played withThe Blaze. I reflect on our Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with mixed emotions; we didn’t get as far as we would have liked but there was plenty to laud, particularly the emer- gence of particular individuals in the absence of senior players at the start of the season. Ella Claridge finished as our top run scorer across the competition, having come to the fore in our thrilling win at Scarborough against Northern Diamonds after we’d struggled in our opening three games. In that first block of fixtures, our players demonstrated real grit and desire, typified by Kirstie Gordon fronting up to open the batting. We also enjoyed two 50-over fixtures at Trent Bridge, and thoroughly relished our Bank Holiday clash with Thunder here back in May, which sat alongside the Notts Street Food Festival within the ground. On that occasion, we welcomed 4,710 through the gates – the biggest attendance for a standalone women’s regional fixture – and it was fantastic to see thousands of people coming through the doors to enjoy women’s cricket for the first time, in spite of the result. Two wins in the middle of the season at Beckenham and Cheltenham – the latter of which saw Lucy Higham record her first professional fifty – meant we entered the final straight of the season needing, in all likeli- hood, three wins from four games to reach the knockout stages. We beat Vipers,Thunder and even- tual winners Sunrisers, and felt like we’d done enough to qualify, before losing to Central Sparks. Naturally, we were disappointed not to progress further having responded well to a challenging start, but it’s worth noting the resilience the side displayed across the season, for which they should be commended. Throughout the year, we were able to organise fixtures for our second XI, to give squad members the chance to get game time and develop. “KIRSTIE EMBODIES EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A TRUE LEADER; SHE’S COMMITTED, INSPIRING AND HAS AN INNATE ABILITY TO UNITE THE TEAM. HER PRESENCE AND CHARACTER IN THE DRESSING ROOM SET HER ASIDE AS ONE OF THE BEST CAPTAINS IN THE WOMEN’S GAME AT PRESENT.” James Cutt