Notts CCC General Committee Election and AGM 2026 in the Cricketer

 

The Blaze doused by Notts

JAMES COYNE: From 2027 the women's domestic side at Trent Bridge is likely to carry the same name as the men, who are currently branded as Notts Outlaws in white-ball cricket

The Blaze are likely to rebrand with a Nottinghamshire identity in 2027, The Cricketer understands. 

Notts chief executive Richard Kenyon told members at the AGM this week: "We are currently finalising plans to better align the name from 2027."

The Blaze start 2026 as the one misnomer among the counties: all the other first-class and National Counties women's teams are known by their traditional names, or at least an abbreviation of it. 

Ahead of this season, Warwickshire have dropped 'Bears Women' and rebranded as Warwickshire Bears in the T20 Blast, as have the men. 

The Notts men's team are currently referred to by the club and the ECB as Notts Outlaws in both white-ball competitions and Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.

The club alighted on the unusual name of The Blaze in 2023 after taking on the East Midlands women's elite side from Loughborough, who were known as Loughborough Lightning and later just Lightning. 

Although The Blaze are effectively the Notts women's team, executives at Trent Bridge were keen for a separate identity, in part to reflect collaboration with their other East Midlands counties. 

This coming season, The Blaze will play two home One Day Cup games at Chesterfield, in neighbouring Derbyshire. Last season, they also played at Loughborough, in Leicestershire, and played back-to-back Blast away games on the undercard of Derbyshire and Leicestershire men. 

When The Blaze moniker was first revealed in 2022, seamer Sophie Munro said, "it was a popular choice among the squad". 

In 2024, skipper Kirstie Gordon told CRICKETher: "We feel like we've created a bit of an identity with The Blaze. For now, we want to stay as The Blaze."

Notts will open their revamped Members' Pavilion at Trent Bridge in the summer. One of the major motivations of a redevelopment was to create four dressing-rooms – one each for men's and women's home and away sides in the event of back-to-back T20 games. There are six such fixtures at Trent Bridge this summer. 

Meanwhile, Notts announced a pre-tax deficit of £720,000 (£376,000 after tax) for the financial year 2024/25. That was below their budgeted target of £805,000. 

Treasurer Fraser Montgomery said he considered it "a considerable achievement given the current business environment and the scheduling of a Test match against Zimbabwe whilst other grounds hosted a more commercially attractive series against India". 

The unbudgeted cost of £14,000 for hosting two Extraordinary General Meetings relating to the Championship schedule in September also contributed to the deficit. 

The figures do, however, include the initial payout of £413,000 from the ECB from the sale of equity in Hundred teams.

25/02

On Pravda:

The make-up of the 2026 Nottinghamshire General Committee has been confirmed, with Penny Huggard and Fraser Montgomery re-elected, Ravi Badge elected for a second term, and Ade Brant appointed by the club’s nominations panel.

The positions were confirmed at Nottinghamshire’s 2026 Annual General Meeting, where members also voted for Richard Tennant to continue as the club’s President for a second year.

Huggard, who was originally elected onto the Committee in 2020, is currently the lead Committee member for governance and has worked in senior governance and finance roles in the public, private and charity sectors.

Montgomery, who succeeded Paul Ellis as the club’s Treasurer, is currently Chief Financial Officer at Ambassador Cruise Line. He previously worked as a qualified accountant across the leisure industry, and joined the Committee in 2023.

Badge, who previously served on the Committee from 2021 to 2024, is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with experience in governance, strategy, and performance oversight.

Brant is Chief Information Officer at Barratt Redrow, the UK’s largest housebuilder, and a Non-Executive Director at the University of Derby.

Tennant, meanwhile, served as Nottinghamshire’s Chair between 2016 and 2021, having been part of the club’s General Committee for over two decades. He succeeded Chris Broad as President in 2025.

Those in attendance at the AGM heard strategic updates from the club’s new Chief Executive, Richard Kenyon, alongside Chair Andy Hunt, Treasurer Fraser Montgomery, Director of Cricket Mick Newell, and Mandy Wright, who is Head of the Trent Bridge Community Trust.

Members heard the latest on the club’s Pavilion redevelopment, which will be completed this summer, and of ambitions to continue pursuing ground developments at Lady Bay and Trent Bridge – where state-of-the-art digital screens will be installed this year.

The intention to bring the brands of Nottinghamshire and The Blaze closer together from 2027 was also announced – as was a series of member listening events, with further information to follow in the coming weeks.

“What I can promise you is openness, energy, and an unstinting ambition to ensure Nottinghamshire retains its rightful place at the top table of English cricket – and continues to play a leading role in shaping the game,” said Kenyon as he addressed members.

“When I was appointed, one member of the General Committee said to me, as we finished the formalities, ‘look after it.’ And I will. But looking after it also means growing it – so we can remain competitive and be winners tomorrow as we are today.

“I don’t have all the answers yet, but I do know I am joining at a time of remarkable – and probably unprecedented – opportunity for this club.

“Thank you for everything you as members, colleagues and committee members past and present have done to create that opportunity, and for making Nottinghamshire the respected, successful, and much-loved club that it is.

“I am very much looking forward to a summer of cricket at Trent Bridge to packed houses, memorable moments, and sharing some great experiences with members, supporters, and colleagues alike.”

Members also voted in favour of a series of amendments to the club’s constitution, which updated the club’s borrowing guidelines and conflict of interest rule, made explicit the club’s power to hold a financial interest in a franchise cricket team, updated the club’s objects in line with a recommendation from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, and gave an individual who called an EGM the power to halt the EGM process if they wished.

24/02

THE ELEPHANT'S SHADOW DIMMED THE ROOM

in spite of the presence of silverware

Last night the AGM of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club took place.

The top stage had a couple of new actors and their deliveries to members on the night made a refreshing change.

The evening's proceedings were managed by The Chair (minus his puppeteer for the first time) and his phone...

Before the meeting had started, Mr Fellow's from the floor had a point of order about the validity of this and previous hybrid-meetings; as according to the club's own rules, everyone present had essentially the right to be heard [something that hasn't been possible on Zoom with participants muted] but after taking "legal council" via his Apple life support system, The Chair assured Mr Fellows that according to the club's own rules again, if he the Chair says it's OK , then it's OK!

Chair Hunt appeared more relaxed than at previous gatherings, perhaps bouyed by the trophy at the back of the room.

Richard Rich Kenyon, the new CEO and someone that the new treasurer might describe as a "wee fella", spoke well and gave the impression that he might be more community centred than his predecessor and spoke of incluson of members in decision making... 

New Tresurer Fraser Montogomery had the delivery style of a cross between Laurence Olivier's Richard III, Ian MacKellan's Macbeth and diminuitive Nicky Campbell if you can imagine... hunched up to the microphone with his notes at the podium. A new graphic software had evidently been employed but the same message was essentially passed on - the club has managable debt and give us a Test match that people want to watch and we'd make plenty of profit. I'm not sure where the diagram of the three or four carbon atoms fitted in [I think that they were models of something else]. It wasn't said how, but once the new pavilion is completed, there are plans for it to generate plenty of wonga!

Once the question from the members started, the cosy tight new team began to twitch... and Chair Hunt and his legal council smart phone came to the fore.

There appeared to be a thread of questioning about the cuckoo franchise that has now laid its golden nest egg, co-ordinated from team CCMG - Alan Higham, Nick Evans and Kevin Lennox

Answers to questions about decision making, spending and conflicts of interests as regards the TR board and NCCC were as clear as mud. The Chair implied that they were making it up as they went along (he probably checked his phone again at that point - sorry took "legal council")

As majority stake holder, the club takes the majority of the risk and liabilities but we're tied-in with this model for five years after which Mr Chairs' successor might have an answer for the CCMG tag-team.

A lot of questions were submitted prior to the meeting and as there were several, this worked well and at least legal council had made her their pronouncements beforehand.

GC meeting minutes could in the future become available to members to read online via "a portal" rather than members physically having to go to the library individually to find them- according to RK. [perhaps the minutes of this meeting could be where to start this project of new club openness]

I didn't take notes, so as and when I get a flash of clarity and remember something poignant, I'll add it here [all help will be gratefully received].

Pursehouse's Poodle Chairman, was reappointed as Club President; members appear to have forgiven him for the H*ndred/Restaurant Six and associated aftermath and fiascos...

Thanks to JAG, who took notes of the election results. Much of the voting went against the previous voting trends of those members that usually bother to vote but with such a small turn-out...

The CCMG candidates appear to cancel eachother out. The one female candidate obviously benefitting from being the sole female on the ballot and there being too many blokes without a USP.

Nottinghamshire Committee Election Votes Cast Announced by RK at the AGM

On Monday 23 February 2026 (10 candidates)

*Penny Huggard 463

*Ravi Badge 435

*Fraser Montgomery 417

Dave Gunn 371

Kevin Lennox 224

Martin Roe 209

Ade Brant 119

Steve Battlemuch 117

Andrew Betournay 86

Stephen King 75

*3 Elected Candidates

1 Appointed by the Nominations Panel Ade Brant

So the Nominations Panel stick a couple of fingers up at the membership and appoint one of the also rans.

Perhaps they feel that with discussions with the cut-throat business types that the club has now partnered-up with, they need someone that is an experienced FTSE 100 CIO who's worked across multiple sectors, leading complex transformation programmes and delivering real business value - as it says on Linkedin.

There is no completion date for the pavilion, but looking at the site on the way out it's difficult to be sure that place is water resistant yet, with open unglazed apertures on the Hound Road side, so how can any internal work have been started yet. The Test Match is a fixed date and Hunt and Keno didn't seem fazed.

One of the new boys let it slip out that The Blaze, from 2027 will have a name /brand "more aligned" to its new status/surroundings/identify - which might defuse one criticism of that Pursehouse legacy, but it would have to include Nottinghamshire somewhere to garner favour in some quarters, I would suggest.

The meeting ended with a question from club's in house living legend, Basher Hassan about the attendance, or lack of [over the past year], of GC elected member Graeme Swann...

The Chair in response -  "blah blah blah" and appears to be in complete awe of the former England spinner - and didn't answer the specifics of the question alas. Graeme apparently promises to try better to attend Trent Bridge this season.

[perhaps we'll be able to monitor is future attendance via the portal]

23/02

At 7PM this evening

24/01

10 Candidates and only 3 votes.

3 GC members looking to return for another term

2 Defeated candidates from previous elections

5 fresh faces

1 female*

9 male*

* apologies if any candidates identifies otherwise 

We know 1 has taken the dual approach, going the (female dominated) Nominations Panel route as a back-up, but how many more have done this as well? I suspect at least 2 others have.

If you've got a vote, you'll have all the gumph, all eight 8 pages on A4, too much to summarise here, but if you are a candidate and would like to use this forum as a soapbox, please use the email address as the CCMG's new lead has done, or hit that comments section below.

Voting ends 5pm 18 February.

22/01

No mention of any election on the below "Hub" or anything in the post, but I've just received an Email:

General Committee Election

There are four vacancies on the General Committee this year; three will be elected by the membership and one will be appointed upon the recommendation of the Nominations Panel.

Voting forms and details of the candidates standing for election have been circulated by post to members in adult categories who are eligible to vote.

If you haven't received the postal mailing and it doesn’t arrive in the next couple of days, but you are eligible and wish to vote, please contact the club via the contact details at the bottom of this email.

The results of the election, together with the identity of the individual appointed by the Nominations Panel, will be announced at the AGM.



Changes to the Constitution

The General Committee have proposed a set of changes to the Constitution of the Club (known as ‘the Rules’).

The changes concern:

• small changes to wording to reflect a recommendation from the report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC)
• 
  
• an update to the club's borrowing guidelines;
• 
  
• an amendment to make explicit the club’s power to hold shares or any financial interest in a franchise cricket team;
• 
  
• amendments to update the club’s conflict of interest Rule;
• 
  
• a new provision which allows a member who has called an EGM to halt the EGM process, if they wish.

...

General Committee Hub

23/10

Committee Hub

19/10

General Committee Experiences of Andy Afford and Catherine Hammond

22/09

A fresh plea today...

Dear Member,

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is seeking four exceptional individuals to join the Club's General Committee from March 2026.

Since 2020, the Club's Nominations Panel has worked diligently to ensure our General Committee possesses the necessary skills, experience and diversity to lead the Club effectively into the future.

The Role

The General Committee leads the Club's strategic planning, provides stewardship of its assets on behalf of the membership, and monitors financial performance against annually approved budgets and forecasts. These voluntary, non-executive positions require attendance at monthly General Committee meetings and relevant sub-committees.

General Committee members exercise their fiduciary responsibilities to ensure the Club's long-term sustainability and success. This involves making decisions based on a comprehensive analysis of financial, strategic and operational factors, always with the Club's future prosperity in mind. The role requires individuals who can balance member interests with the need to maintain the Club's financial stability and competitive position.

What We're Looking For

We seek individuals with skills, knowledge and experience across key areas including governance and compliance, strategic oversight, leadership, financial acumen, risk management, sports and cricket industry knowledge, stakeholder management and communication, and strong personal behaviours including integrity and collaborative working.

As part of our commitment to ensuring people from all backgrounds feel welcome in cricket, we actively promote diversity and inclusion at all levels throughout our county.

Joining the Committee

There are two routes via which you can join the Committee:

Elected Route

If you wish to stand for election, you must have been a member of the Club and entitled to vote for a continuous period of not less than two years on 31 October 2025.

Nominated Route

The Nominations Panel actively searches for suitable candidates beyond our current membership. Applicants via this route need not be current members but must join the Club if successful.

How to Apply

All candidates must complete an application form, which can be completed here...

If you would like to receive a hard copy of the application form, please email linda.allen@trentbridge.co.uk. Hard copies should be returned to the Chief Executive via: Linda Allen, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, NG2 6AG.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 1 November 2025. Kindly note that we prefer online submissions where possible.

The detailed role profile outlining competencies and expectations is available here...

Selection Process

All candidates will be interviewed by the Nominations Panel in December 2025 or January 2026. The Panel will appoint one position directly, with the remaining three positions decided by membership election. Eligible members may apply through both routes.

Next Steps

I encourage anyone with the relevant skills and experience who is passionate about cricket's future to apply. We welcome applications from everyone who can contribute to the diversity of perspectives needed to guide our Club through the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Jamieson

Chair, Nominations Panel

21/09

It's that time of year again...

Nottinghamshire CCC is seeking four individuals to join its General Committee from March 2026.

The General Committee leads and oversees the club’s strategic planning, provides stewardship of its assets on behalf of the membership, and monitors its financial position and performance against an annually approved budget and financial forecast.

Roles, which are voluntary and non-executive, involve attending monthly General Committee meetings and sub-committees.

We will be making three appointments through the elected route (open to eligible adult Nottinghamshire members) and one appointment via our Nominations Panel (for which candidates need not be Nottinghamshire members at present, but must join the club if successful).

You can hear from members of our existing and past Committee about the requirements of the role here.

 

Joining the Committee

There are two routes via which you can join the committee:

• Elected Route: If you wish to stand for election, you must have been a member of the Club and entitled to vote for a continuous period of not less than two years on 31 October 2025.
• Nominated Route: The Nominations Panel actively searches for suitable candidates beyond our current membership. Applicants via this route need not be current members but must join the Club if successful.

There are four vacancies on the committee; three will be decided by membersip election, while one will be appointed by the Nominations Panel.

 

How to Apply

All candidates must complete an application form, which can be downloaded here...

If you would like to receive a hard copy of the application form, please email linda.allen@trentbridge.co.uk. Hard copies should be returned to the Chief Executive via: Linda Allen, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, NG2 6AG.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 1 November 2025. Kindly note that we prefer online submissions where possible.

The detailed role profile outlining competencies and expectations is available here...

All candidates will be interviewed by the Nominations Panel in December 2025 or January 2026.