Bears Vitality T20 Blast at Trent Bridge Loss Report

 

IN SPITE FOUR WICKET AFRIDI FIRST OVER HEROICS, OUTLAWS LOSE AGAIN

On a dank, wet and miserable evening, visitors Warwickshire won an eventful T20 contest by 2 wickets with 5 balls to spare. It was Notts third loss in 4 games. They head to the last game against cellar dwellers Leicestershire needing either a win or hoping that both Derbyshire and Northants lose to Worcestershire (home) and Lancashire (away) respectively.

Warwickshire, without Notts nemesis Sam Hain (injured) won the toss and elected to bowl. In came Imad Wasim and Olly Stone for Calvin Harrison and Haseeb Hameed. For the second time in a week following the Taunton debacle the dropping of all-rounder Harrison, the team’s best fielder seemed rather odd.

Light drizzle at 1700 threatened to delay the start but play did get under way on time at 1830.

Hales hit Hannon-Dalby (Radcliffe Road End) to the long leg boundary, 5 off the first over. A leg side delivery from Hasan Ali went for 4 byes. Later in the over a similar delivery was called 5 wides, there was an overthrow off the last delivery, 16 for 0 after 2 overs. Hales (4) chopped on to Henry Brookes, 18 for 1. Hales miserable recent form continuing.

Clarke and James attacked with purpose adding 45 in 4 overs. James straight drove his first delivery for four. Two balls later he hit Brookes for four through extra cover, 10 off the third over. Clarke straight drove Hasan Ali for 4, 5 off the 4th over. Clarke hit Hannon-Dalby for 4 through square leg and then six over long on and a four through the covers, 14 off the 5th over. James hit Brookes for 6 into the back of the Larwood and Voce Stand. Clarke lofted Brookes for 4 over mid-wicket. Notts 61 for 1 after 6 overs.

Notts then loss their way in familiar fashion. Clarke (26 off 23 balls) was bowled off his pads by Lintott, 63 for 2, four off the 7th over. Five runs came off the 8th over bowled by Mousley. Montgomery (4) was bowled attempting a sweep shot off Lintott, 73 for 3, 5 off the 9th over. James hit Mousley for 4 through extra cover. Moores hit a Mousley full toss for four over wide long leg, 11 off the 10th over. Notts 86 for 3 at half-way house.

Maxwell conceded four off the 11th over. Four runs were obtained off the 12th over bowled by Mousley (3 0 20 0) Moores pulled Lintott for four through square leg. James (37) on the cut was caught at backward point by Benjamin off Lintott 104 for 4 off 13 overs. The 4th wicket had added 31 in 4.4 overs, James had recorded a T20 personal best.

Moores on 21 was badly dropped on the right on the cover ropes by Lintott off Hannon-Dalby, the fielder letting the ball go for four. An expensive drop as Moores would add a further 52 to his score, 9 off the 14th over.

Moores had another slice of luck on 28 when a steepler off Maxwell dropped into no man’s land. Moores then hit Maxwell for six over extra cover, 10 off the 15th over. Mullaney (5) was caught on the deep square leg ropes by Barnard off Hasan Ali, 123 for 5. Moores hit Hasan Ali for four through long leg, 130 for 5 off 16 overs.

Imad Wasim (2) was lbw to Maxwell, 130 for 6. Afridi (1) was caught by Mousley at long off as Maxwell (3 0 20 2) picked up his second wicket in the over, 134 for 7 off 17 overs. Moores then dominated the final stages adding 34 with Carter for the 8th wicket, before Notts lost their last three wickets to the last 3 deliveries of the innings. Moores hit Lintott (4 0 27 3) for a straight six and a single off the next ball saw him to 50 off 33 balls, 10 off the 18th over. Moores cover drove Hannon-Dalby (4 0 46 0) to the extra cover ropes and then successive sixes over mid-wicket and long on, 18 off the 19th over. Moores blasted Hasan Ali for a straight four. With three deliveries remaining, Carter (2) was lbw to Hasan Ali, 168 for 8. Stone was run out first ball hitting the ball to bowler Hasan Ali he sacrificed his wicket going for an impossible single. Moores (73 off 42 balls, 6x4, 3x6) going for a legside hoick was bowled off the last delivery of the innings. Notts 168 all out off 20 overs. Hasan alliance (4 0 25 3) conceded 6 off the last over. Only three batsmen had got more than five and despite Moores late pyrotechnics, Notts’ total looked under par.

Afridi opened with five wides but Notts were seemingly heading for victory as Afridi took 4 wickets in 6 balls. Off the first legitimate delivery of the over, a perfect yorker knocked Davies off his feet, the Bears captain leg before for a duck, 5 for 1. Benjamin attempting a legside ramp was bowled leg stump for a golden duck, 5 for 2. Mousley got a single off the hat trick delivery and Yates got another one run off the 4th delivery. A brilliant low one-handed catch by Stone at short cover diving to his right dismissed Mousley for 1 Barnard was bowled off stump for another golden duck via another yorker, 7 for 4 off 1 over. Notts though slowly lost their initiative following some pretty average powerplay bowling.

Stone (0.3 0 1 0), after a two-month absence with a hamstring injury and on his Notts T20 debut, broke down after only 3 deliveries against his former team. James was elected to complete his over but went for 12. His first delivery was hit for 6 by Maxwell through long leg. The next ball, Maxwell inside edged a four. The following delivery was a wide and then a single to Maxwell, 20 for 4 off 2 overs. Afridi bowled a wide and 5 wides in the 3rd over, 12 off the over including 2 byes as Moores was finding Afridi too hot to handle. Yates hit Carter for 4 through long on and then hit him for 6 over mid-wicket, 13 off the 4th over. Maxwell (19) hit Ball for 4 through backward square leg but was bowled off stump next ball by Ball, 49 for 5 off 4.2 overs. Yates hit Ball for six over square leg, 11 off the 5th over. Carter bowled the last over of the powerplay and conceded four singles, 60 for 5 off 6 overs, just one run behind the equivalent Notts score but with an extra four wickets lost.

Yates hit Imad's first two deliveries for four through extra cover and point. Yates hit his last delivery of the over for 6 over extra cover, Warwickshire 76 for 5 off 7 overs. 16 off the over. Imad a panic signing following injuries to veterans Patel and Munro had not played cricket for three months and not surprisingly put in a decidedly rusty performance, his 19 deliveries going for 32. Rain stopped play at 2040 with Notts leading by 3 runs on DLS.

Play recommenced at 2107 with no overs lost but with Notts handicapped by a wet ball. Yates hit Carter for 6 over square leg, 12 off 8th over. Mullaney conceded 7 off the 9th over. A single for Yates off Ball saw him to 50 off 27 balls, 6 off the 10th over. Bethell hit Mullaney for 4 through square leg, eight off the 11th over. Bethell hit Carter for successive fours through square leg and extra cover. Yates and Bethell had put the Beats on top and shared a 5th wicket stand of 69 off 7.2 overs before Yates went for a risky single off Carter (4 0 39 0) guiding the ball to Imad at backward point with non-striker Bethell (19 off 12 balls) well short of his ground when Moores removed the bails 118 for 6. Eleven off the 12th over. Mullaney (3 0 22 0) bowled three dot balls to Yates but next ball he hit for six over backward square leg, seven off the 13th over. With Notts desperate for another wicket, Afridi returned for his third over and went for 4 runs. Warwickshire 131 for 6 off 14 overs needing only 38 off 6 overs.

Imad conceded four off the 15th over. Ball returned and Yates (65 off 46 balls, 3x4, 5x6) mistimed his first delivery and skied to Clarke who took a fine catch diving in the covers, 135 for 7. Notts now had a chance but Lintott on 6 was dropped by Carter at long leg off Ball, the off-spinner reacting slowly and spilling the chance by his ankles, 4 off the 16th over.

Hasan Ali hit Imad for a straight four, eight off the 17th over. Lintott hit Ball for successive fours through long off and mid-wicket as Warwickshire were nearly home. A bouncer from Ball was given as a no ball by umpire Middlebrook. Off the last ball of the over, Ball (4 0 33 3) removed Hassan Ali (7) lbw, 160 for 8 off 18 overs. Ball though limped off after delivering his spell. Another injury for the aged Notts line-up?

Afridi (4 0 29 4) bowled the 19th over, there were three dots to Lintott (27 not out off 22 balls, 3x4) then he ran consecutive twos and guided a four through third man to bring the scores level. With the field in, Brookes calmly hit the first delivery of the last over bowled by Imad to the extra covers ropes to give Bears a deserved victory. In an untidy bowling performance only two Notts bowlers took wickets with criminally 22 extras including 16 wides being given away. The bottom line though was Notts failed to register a competitive total and despite the dramatic opening over from Afridi, the Bears were always ahead of the asking rate.

Another mediocre performance from Notts means qualification is very much in the balance. They now face by far the worst team in the group at home on Sunday, they rarely win a game without one or either Clarke or Hales firing, so much will be expected of them tomorrow. MAG

Peter Moores has announced only his second T20 squad in his time at the club that doesn't include Samit Patel (calf injury). He's sitting on the fence to some degree, as his squad has 15 names.

Joe Clarke

Alex Hales

Ben Martindale

Matt Montgomery

Steven Mullaney

Tom Moores

Imad Wasim

Calvin Harrison

Olly Stone

Shaheen Afridi

Matt Carter

Jake Ball

Conor McKerr

Lyndon James

Haseeb Hameed

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There's two games remaining in the group stages of this year's Blast. Notts Outlaws are currently fourth in the North Group, on the same points as second place. Such is the negative impact of Outlaws' net run rate, Outlaws have to gain two more points from the remaining fixtures to not be surpassed by any of the chasing pack below us in the table. Of the teams in contention, only Vikings have a worse net negative run effect.

Outlaws first attempt to snatch those two points will be against Bears. Bears be they Warwickshire or Birmingham, often come to Trent Bridge and blow the Outlaws away. Sam Hain certainly enjoys batting in our back yard. Sam Hain is expected to return to fitness for this fixture, he's perhaps even been saving himself for it!

No Sam Hain, what a same!

Bears Squad:

Alex Davies (C)
Hassan Ali
Ed Barnard
Chris Benjamin
Jacob Bethell
Ethan Brookes
Henry Brookes
Olly Hannon-Dalby
Jake Lintott
Dan Mousley
Glenn Maxwell
Will Rhodes
Rob Yates

A lot of big hitters and fast scorers and a lot of slow bowling options.

Outlaws will be without Samit Patel and Colin Munro.

Without our talisman, Samit Patel, Mick Newell has had to stroll through his contact list and called upon Imad Wasim, another left arm spinner.

How the runs of Colin Muro are to be replaced isn't addressed. The James, Mullaney, Moores combination hasn't yielded much and hasn't been quick scoring either, so would need some adjustment. Haseeb Hameed wasn't the answer, T20 isn't his game. We didn't get a Jake Libby gob-smacking revelation moment, so no 99.0.