2024 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2024 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 32 both non-travelling reserves. We’ve had a number of players take the opportunity to play in franchise cricket across the globe, namely Nat and Kathryn in theWomen’s Premier League and Amy, Kathryn and Sarah in theWomen’s BBL. Georgia Elwiss, another new recruit this winter, adds further experience from the international stage to our squad from next season. It will be a season in which we compete as a Tier One team, with Trent Bridge having secured one of eight spots at the top level of the new domestic structure.WithTier One set to expand to twelve teams by 2029, the direction of travel in the women’s game is clear. Ultimately, we are fortunate that a lot of the legwork in becoming embedded with Nottinghamshire had been done in our first two years at Trent Bridge. But we now have a platform to do what we want to do, in a pragmatic manner, and at a pace that is right for women’s cricket. Stability and continued evolution are key, and it was essential to us that we remained ‘The Blaze,’ to allow us to keep our own sense of identity – something that was really important to players and staff alike. As we move towards a new era, I would like to express my gratitude to Chris Guest, who has recently taken up the role of Head Coach with EnglandWomen’s U19 having been the beating heart of The Blaze for the last few years. His legacy will be felt for a long time to come – he worked hard to build the current team and oversaw their transition from Loughborough. I’d also like to extend my thanks to the wider coaching staff for their efforts, along with the committee and the club for their unwavering support and ensuring we always feel a part of the Trent Bridge family. Plenty of hard work goes on behind the scenes, and it doesn’t go unno- ticed. Preparations are well underway for 2025, and it’s essential we put in the hard yards ahead of a busier domestic summer than ever before - including more opportunities to play at Trent Bridge. Those games will be played under fresh leadership, with Craig Cum- ming having been appointed as our new Head Coach after an extensive search concluded in November. He arrives having proven his coach- ing credentials at Otago Sparks, winners of two 50-over trophies in the last three seasons. Chris’ departure gave us a rare opportunity to look at how we could evolve from a position of strength, and we’re sure Craig’s fresh perspective will be a huge asset. We look forward to the contests to come during a new era for The Blaze, and we thank you for your continued support. “IT’S ESSENTIAL WE PUT IN THE HARD YARDS AHEAD OF A BUSIER DOMESTIC SUMMER THAN EVER BEFORE - INCLUDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AT TRENT BRIDGE. THOSE GAMES WILL BE PLAYED UNDER FRESH LEADERSHIP, WITH CRAIG CUMMING HAVING BEEN APPOINTED AS OUR NEW HEAD COACH.” James Cutt