COVERED SPRING 2020

3 WELCOME @TRENTBRIDGE WELCOME As I write these words, I do so with a renewed sense of optimism following a winter of reflection in coming to terms with the on-field events of 2019 – and action to ensure that we can achieve what we are setting out to this year. In many respects, our 2020 will be characterised by how we bounce back from the adversity of relegation, but we will also retain a focus on ensuring that performances in white-ball cricket remain of the high standard to which we have become accustomed. While we accept that the significant investment made in our squad in 2019 did not reap the immediate rewards for which we might have hoped, those that arrived at Trent Bridge last winter did so with high ceilings of potential. Our aim is to provide them with an environment in which they can fulfil that in the long-term. A number of additional new faces have arrived this winter to supplement our existing squad and coaching staff. All of them, for different reasons, fit a profile that can help us compete across three formats in the coming years. As a venue – with our core business of delivering the Nottinghamshire domestic season joined by the return of Test and ODI cricket, the arrival of the Royal London Cup Final and the onset of The Hundred – our ability to host world-class events on the international and domestic stage will be under more of a microscope than ever before. More tickets must be sold and a wider range of experiences must be delivered, but those are two areas in which our track-record is strong. Never is upholding that reputation more rewarding than when the pure contest of Test cricket is unfolding at our venue. Witnessing five-day cricket and welcoming a resurgent England on the back of their triumphant winter tour of South Africa is something we are all looking forward to. However, the way in which we continue to diversify our business – and our ongoing efforts to drive participation in our game – will equally come to the fore when we later look back on the year on which we are now embarking. In this edition of ‘Covered’, you will hear from two of our new signings referred to above – Haseeb Hameed and Peter Trego – about their hopes and aspirations as Nottinghamshire cricketers. With a First-Class debut in September having been closely followed by a maiden professional contract and England selection for the Under 19 World Cup, there is also much for teenage all-rounder Joey Evison to reflect upon. Our regular community feature outlines the work being done to ensure that disability is no barrier to participation in cricket within our county. And Peter Wynne-Thomas’s informative historical musings continue with the low-down on the history of the List A Final ahead of its debut at our venue. The new season will see no fewer than six different formats of the game taking place on our hallowed turf, and that will not be without its challenges. But when the sun is in the sky and the thought of high-quality cricket, in whichever guise, being played before our eyes at a venue we know and love takes hold, a sense of optimism returns as we look forward to a new season. Thank you for your steadfast support. Lisa Pursehouse, MBE Chief Executive