COVERED 2024 Winter

3 @TRENTBRIDGE As another long and varied summer at our historic home comes to a close, it feels as though 2024 at Trent Bridge will be remembered as a summer of contrasting fortunes for our teams on the pitch, yet with reasons to be optimistic over what may lie ahead. We saw green shoots in the dying embers of a challenging season for Nottinghamshire – not least Freddie McCann, who shares his journey from stands to star player within this edition of Covered. The Blaze’s success in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, mean- while, was richly deserved after two years of consistently strong performances since makingTrent Bridge their home. On the global stage, we were fortunate to enjoy a highly- competitiveTest Match between England’s Men andWest Indies, before Australia took the spoils in our late-summer One Day International. Across those five days of international cricket, four were sold out, while we also welcomed record attendances for The Blaze andTrent Rockets’ women during the course of the season. I was, as ever, struck by the dedication and commitment of our off-field staff and volunteers, who continue to rise to the occasion for each and every fixture we stage. Our groundstaff exemplified that resourcefulness and excellence during the Metro Bank One Day Cup Final, with the fixture played to a conclusion seemingly against the odds after extended periods of heavy rainfall. But most importantly, I’d like to thank you for your support, whichever your preferred format. Nothing quite compares to the welcoming, passionate and knowledgeable atmosphere that typifies aTrent Bridge matchday, and that feeling of friendliness is very much driven by our members. Within these pages, Olly Stone discusses how a change in mindset has propelled him back into England contention, while Kathryn Bryce reflects on her unprecedented summer of success. Our community features examine the strides made this summer to make those from under-represented backgrounds feel welcome, whilst we also meet a familiar face in our Ticket Office Manager,Tim Bradd. Of course, the changing of the seasons always brings its share of goodbyes – and I’m sure you were as moved as I was by Luke Fletcher’s emotional farewells during the final game of the season. But the exuberance of youth has been evident these past few months, too – with Freddie and Farhan Ahmed’s performances in particular reminding us why we all fell in love with this sport. Their progress over the years to come will be fascinating to watch, and those opening exchanges of 2025 will be with us before you know it. I trust you will winter well. Lisa Pursehouse, MBE WELCOME WELCOME