2024 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2024 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 8 ANDY H UN T CHAI R’S REPORT Both on and off the field, seeking success is a long-term project – and while we accept that there will be bumps in the road along the way, we must take decisions which fu- tureproof our teams, our sport and our venue. Our men’s first team experienced their share of difficult moments last summer, and I know the players and coaching staff are determined to turn in a more consistent level of performance in 2025. Indeed, we all witnessed something of a renewal of the side in the final weeks of the season, as we said a fond farewell to Luke Fletcher – whose commitment and character have been at the heart of Trent Bridge life for over 15 years – and witnessed breathtaking introductions to the First-Class game from Farhan Ahmed and Freddie McCann. The Blaze, meanwhile, were richly-deserved winners of the Charlotte Edwards CupT20 title, having seamlessly become part of life at Trent Bridge in their first two summers in Nottingham. My own daughters’ increasing interest in the game is testament to the power of having visible female role models on our doorstep; with The Blaze,The Hundred and a women’s international to come at Trent Bridge next summer, we can offer a more extensive programme of women’s cricket than ever before. Away from the domestic stage, it was a pleasure to take in my first Men’s Test as Chair – a contest which was keenly-fought by a char- acterfulWest Indies and an evolving England team, withTrent Bridge at its best as the eyes of the cricketing world watched on. Our four double-headers inThe Hundred also showcased our work- force at its best as they delivered a first-rate experience for spectators. I’m not sure any other venue has takenThe Hundred to its heart quite as we have – as the chants of ‘Rockets!’ in the closing moments of the men’s final fixture of the summer proved. Whatever awaits us as the prospective sale of stakes in the competition’s eight teams continues, we enter the My second season as Chair of this club has proven no less rich, varied – and challenging – than my first. “I’MNOT SURE ANY OTHER VENUE HAS TAKEN THE HUNDRED TO ITS HEART QUITE AS WE HAVE – AS THE CHANTS OF ‘ROCKETS!’ IN THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF THE MEN’S FINAL FIXTURE OF THE SUMMER PROVED.” Andy Hunt