03/03
from Pravda: The Story of the Season and so much more...
Nottinghamshire’s legion of cricket fans can relive the title winning season with the 2026 Cricket Annual, published by the Nottingham Cricket Lovers Society (NCLS).
Across 280 pages, editor Mike Goulder provides not just a detailed review of each County Championship match, complete with scorecards, but also articles reflecting on the unexpected title win by such luminaries as head coach Peter Moores, commentator Dave Bracegirdle and columnist Michael Henderson.
There is statistical analysis of the Championship that sets the tone for a whole raft of stats and records covering Nottinghamshire’s history – particularly appropriate in a year when the 200th Anniversary of First-Class cricket will be celebrated.
Speaking the Club’s AGM, chair Andy Hunt recommended the Annual to members and supporters, “It’s a terrific piece of work”, he said, “not just about the title season but about all of Nottinghamshire cricket.
“Mike Goulder has done a first-class job as editor and I congratulate him and his team”.
The Annual includes pictures of the men’s and women’s squads with room for autographs and more than twenty pages of colour photographs. “I’m particularly delighted to have two local lads (Lyndon James and Liam Patterson-White) on the cover”, said Mike Goulder, “it made the win all the more special to have them in the team”.
Fascinating as the Championship win was, it is far from the only aspect of Nottingham cricket covered in the Annual.
The Notts Outlaws two white-ball campaigns are detailed and the Notts Second XI, The Blaze, Age Group and Women’s teams are included, along with an extensive summary of league cricket played in the county.
The international matches played at Trent Bridge in 2025 – the four-day Test against Zimbabwe, and the Women’s Vitality T20I versus India – are covered in detail; there was a third international scheduled, a men’s T20I also against India, but that was washed out by the weather.
Articles on the Heritage work at Trent Bridge, the meetings and speakers of the NCLS, and a review of some of the latest books to arrive in the Wynne-Thomas Library are also included.
Scattered through the Annual are nuggets of information and statistics that Mike Goulder calls ‘fillers’, but they are much more than that…how revealing that in 2025, Hampshire’s Ben Brown set a new record as the opposing keeper in the highest Notts innings (578-8) not contain a single bye…or that Joe Hardstaff has the highest score (205no v India) of any Notts batter in a Test match for England.
The Nottinghamshire Cricket Annual 2026 is available from the Trent Bridge Shop, via the Club online, from the Ticket Office or at NCLS meetings, and is excellent value at just ten pounds.
06/02
The Annual is now for sale from the Trent Bridge ticket office.
25/01
COMING SOON – NOTTINGHAMSHIRE CRICKET ANNUAL 2026
‘My congratulations to the team that put this year book together – Outstanding!’’ – Journal of the Cricket Society
The 2026 annual contains 280 information packed pages - 34 of which include colour photographs. Sincere thanks to Calvin Adlard and Tim Biddulph at Adlard Print & Reprographics for putting the annual together.
The editorial team that has assembled the annual comprises David Beaumont, David Richards, Bill Russell, Steve LeMottee (Notts CCC Heritage Officer), Peter Smith (Notts CCC Heritage volunteer and webmaster to The Nottingham Cricket Lovers’ society site) and myself.
The annual commemorates the memorable 2025 season for Notts - winning the County Championship for the first time in 15 years. Full coverage is given to the winning of the title including articles by Head Coach Peter Moores and Notts live-stream and BBC commentator Dave Bracegirdle.
Full details are given to the Notts CCC First and Second teams, The Blaze, Age Group and Women’s teams are included together with an extensive summary of league cricket played in the County. The in-depth Notts CCC record section remains. Full coverage is also provided for the Internationals played at Trent Bridge in 2025 and the Men’s and Women’s Hundred competitions.
Along with the aforementioned articles by Peter Moores and Dave Bracegirdle this annual also includes, contributions from the well-known cricket writer Michael Henderson on Notts winning the championship; another renowned cricket journalist Duncan Hamilton pens a tribute to the legendary Notts groundsman Ron Allsopp who passed away last year; Chris O’Brien contributes two articles – one a statistical analysis of Notts championship titles with myself and another an article on the first-ever first-class game played by a team from Nottingham played 200 years ago this year. The players from that game constitute the first eleven players who played first-class cricket for the county. Ishan Kishan became the 682nd player over the 200 year golden history of the county when he played against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge last year; Peter Smith contributes an article on James Taylor; Nottingham Cricket Lovers’ committee member Martyn Shaw provides a book review on the latest tome on the legendary Garry Sobers and summarises the Cricket Lovers’ 2025 programme and activities; Steve LeMottee has written a comprehensive piece on the Trent Bridge heritage activities last year along with news from the Trent Bridge Library; we also reproduce a piece from The Cricketer by their Managing Director and former Notts slow left-armer Jim Hindson on his contemporary off-spinner Richard Bates. There is also the obituary section along with an article about two previous trips to Beckenham in Kent where Notts play a 50-over game this August.
We wish to record the help given by the following individuals: Matt Freeman (Head of Communications at Notts CCC); Neil Fenwick (Notts Premier League); Gary Edginton (Gunn & Moore South Nottinghamshire Cricket League); Michael Layton (Mansfield and District Cricket League); Richard Stanton for the report on Notts Senior Cricket and Ian Dipaolo for articles on Disability, Kwik and Walking Cricket.
Many thanks to all the proof readers, photographic contributors and a number of individuals for their general help.
We appreciate the support of the following advertisers: Notts CCC; Michael Blatherwick at B3 Cricket; GAC Environmental Limited; Michael Pavis Plumbing and Heating Merchants; Bombay Bridgford Restaurant; Tank - the digital marketing agency; Warbox Creative; FHP Living; The Cricket Memorabilia Society; Paul Garton at TrophyMaster; Larch Groundwork Ltd; Rogers Spencer Chartered Accountants; Step Up Rehab; Tony’s Barbers and finally The Nottingham Cricket Lovers’ Society. .
If you want any further information on the annual, please e-mail me at nclsannual@gmail.com
Mike Goulder
Annual Editor
An absolutely essential publication for every Notts member and supporter. In this era of online based material there is still something extremely comforting to have a traditional paper handbook to look through.
ReplyDeleteI always go back to the scorecards and reports for all of the games I attended last season and have a little reminisce of each days play. It’s amazing what small aspects you actually remember or some light hearted quip that springs to mind when reminding yourself of that particular game in question.
Massive effort and congratulations π to everyone concerned in piecing this together each season - I image it’s a huge, but also very rewarding, task for all concerned to produce such an outstanding annual each close season
Well said !
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ReplyDeleteYes - a great little publication at a very reasonable price - the cost of a couple of pints of beer. So much fascinating information contained within its pages . A great thing to have with you when “ rain stops play” - or when record landmarks are being reached and important details needed quickly .
Thank goodness this is still published. Thank you to all concerned.
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