COVERED 2024 Spring

3 @TRENTBRIDGE While spring always brings with it a sense of renewal,Trent Bridge has seemed especially awash with new beginnings of late. On the field, Nottinghamshire’s men are under new steward- ship – and as we thank Steven Mullaney for his commitment, leadership and impact on the club during six years as captain, we look forward to Joe Clarke taking the helm inT20 cricket and Haseeb Hameed leading the side as Club Captain. Now entering his fifth year at the club, Haseeb’s skill, dedication and enthusiasm have been evident ever since he first strode through our gates. As Notts prepare for a second successive season in Division One of the County Championship, his philosophical approach to the game takes centre stage in this edition of Covered. Haseeb’s name is now inscribed in gold leaf alongside the likes of Sobers, Fleming and Read in our historic Pavilion. The tenures of those who have preceded him have provided fertile ground for heritage volunteer Peter Smith, who examines their contrasting characters – and their occasional controversies – in our history feature. As our commitment to the women’s game continues to develop,The Blaze embark on their second summer with us, having quickly settled into life as part of theTrent Bridge family during the winter of 2022. It has been heartening to see the bonds forged between our elite men’s and women’s sides over the past 18 months – and thrilling to witness the on-field development of our East Midlands representatives as they finished runners-up in each of the tournaments they competed in last year. Ahead of a season in whichThe Blaze will play more regular- season fixtures than ever before – including four matchdays at our historic home – seamer Grace Ballinger assesses the ever-growing opportunities available to her, and speaks of the importance of grasping chances to excel when they arrive. Away from our county headquarters, our Community and Development team are entering their second year of delivering Ebony Rainford-Brent’s pioneering ACE Programme, designed to offer cricketing experiences to under-represented groups in our cities - particularly those of Afro-Caribbean heritage.We check in on their progress so far in these pages. Against this backdrop of change and evolution, Calvin Harrison seems something of an old-timer. Now almost four years into his time with Notts – and having established himself in the game’s longer and shorter formats – he describes a whirlwind journey from university to the top of the domestic game. As we look ahead to a full summer of cricket, alongside Nottinghamshire andThe Blaze’s bids for success, we’ll see the return of Men’s Test cricket, a sold-out One-Day International between England and Australia and four Trent Rockets double-headers inThe Hundred. Whatever your preference, we can’t wait to welcome you back to savour your preferred form of theTrent Bridge experience – and to perhaps sample a new flavour over the course of the summer too. Thank you for your continued support. Lisa Pursehouse, MBE WELCOME WELCOME