Chris Read will lead Trent Rockets women next summer, stepping up from his three-year stint as assistant coach to replace Jon Lewis, who departed at the end of the 2025 Hundred campaign.
The 47-year-old is a fixture at Trent Bridge. Across 19 seasons he kept wicket, captained Nottinghamshire, and clocked more than 700 senior appearances. England honours – 15 Tests and 36 one-day internationals – underline a career built on persistence rather than noise.
Rockets’ hierarchy has shifted, too. Cain International and Ares Management have bought a 49% holding, leaving Nottinghamshire with the controlling 51%. Fresh money, fresh eyes, and now a fresh head coach.
“It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” Read said. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”
Those summers doubled as a rehearsal. In parallel he guided Lancashire Women to a white-ball double this season and has already signed on there until the end of 2027. Balancing both roles should prove manageable: county women’s fixtures rarely clash directly with the Hundred window.
Read will be joined by former Nottinghamshire seamer Luke Fletcher as assistant. The pair shared dressing-rooms for a decade; now they share whiteboards. Fletcher’s honesty and uncomplicated approach to fast-bowling plans – “hit a length, keep it simple”, as he often says – ought to dovetail neatly with Read’s forensic wicketkeeper’s eye.
Mick Newell, Rockets general manager and the man who once coached Read at Notts, called it “a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.” Newell added: “Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too. His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”
On-field, the brief is straightforward: turn a good side into finalists. A squad featuring England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt reached the Eliminator in 2022 but has otherwise flattered to deceive. Read knows the ground’s big-match pulse – packed stands, short boundaries, five-ball overs that disappear faster than most coaches can scribble field changes – better than almost anyone.
“I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games,” Read said. “With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”
Whether success arrives immediately is another matter. Coaching transitions, new ownership pressures, and a competition that condenses cricket into 100 balls per side leave narrow margins. Yet Read’s empathy with players and the venue’s heritage should buy him time – and, perhaps, that elusive first final.
