30/05
Notts won their opening T20 contest by seven wickets with five balls to spare at sunny Trent Bridge last night. In a breathtaking encounter a total of 455 runs were scored in the match at 11.61 RPO. It was the second highest match aggregate in a Notts T20 encounter only the 467 scored against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge in 2022 being higher. Notts’ final total of 229 for 3 was their highest ever total they have successfully chased in T20 cricket. It was their second largest T20 total the only one higher being the 247 for 6 against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge in 2022.
Notts won the toss and put the Bears in to bat. Notts gave T20 debuts to Moises Henriques and Daniel Sams. Notts sprung a surprise by opting to use Lyndon James as a pinch hitter and omitting Freddie McCann. Matt Montgomery came back into the Eleven for only his second outing of the season and his first since 7th April – he neither batted nor bowled!
Warwickshire gave T20 debuts to Keeper Kai Smith and former Derbyshire man Adam Sylvester a 25 year old right-arm seamer from Wales. The pitch on the Bridgford Road side of the square proved to be an absolute road, a dream surface for the big hitters.
Pennington (Radcliffe Road End) conceded seven off the opening over including four through point by Latham. Sams removed Latham (7) lbw with his fifth delivery, 11 for 1. In the third over, Pennington bowled Yates for a 3-ball duck, 12 for two. Notts seemed well placed but with nemesis Sam Hain once again to the fore Bears hit 213 off their last 17 overs.
Hain hit McKerr's first delivery for a four through mid-wicket. Hain ramped the next delivery for six over long leg. Davies lofted the former Surrey man for four over mid-on, 16 off the over. Little did we know it was going to get worse for McKerr.
Davies hit Pennington for six over square leg and two further fours, another 16 off over number five. Sam's bowled the last over of the powerplay. Davies guided him for six over wide long leg. Bears 58 for two off 6 overs.
Davies (40 off 22 balls; 3x4, 3x6) hit Harrison for six over square leg but fell attempting the same shot caught by Haynes at backward square leg; 67 for 3 off seven overs. Hain and Barnard then added 87 in 8 overs. Hain hit McKerr for four through square leg. Barnard hit a long hop from McKerr for six over mid-wicket, 13 off the 8th over. Barnard swept Harrison for four through square leg, 10 off the 9th over. Hain hit a free hit from Henriques for six over square leg. Bears 103 for three off 10 overs.
Barnard swept Harrison for six over backward square leg and for four through mid-wicket, 12 off the 11th over. Barnard hit Patterson-White for a straight four and six, 14 off the 12th over. Patterson-White though was surprisingly not given another over.
Hain edged a boundary off Pennington (4-0-33-1); eight off the over. Harrison (4 0 35 1) conceded four off the 14th over. Barnard top edged Henriques for four. Barnard (55 off 28 balls; 4x4, 4x6) reached his 50 off 26 balls, with a six over square leg off Henriques – a career best T20 score for the former Pear. He then holed out to the mid-wicket ropes caught by Harrison off Henriques (2-0-26-1); 154 for 4 after 15 overs.
Garton hit James for four through extra cover. Hain reached 50 off 33 balls with a single off James, 10 off the 16th over, the sole over for James. Hain hit McKerr for a straight six and then for s six over backward square leg, 18 off the 17th over. Garton edged a boundary off Sams just alluding Moores’ left glove and next ball for six over point. He was bowled off stump by Sams the following ball; 194 for 5 after 18 overs. McKerr (4 0 67 0) conceded 20 off the 19th over which went 44.6.6 all off the bat of Hain. The sixes over square leg (off a full toss) and a straight one off a long hop. It was the most expensive figures for Notts in T20 cricket and a woeful spell. McKerr who picked up a groin strain in a second team fixture in Southampton in April had only one warm up match against the South Asian Cricket Academy at the palatial Lady Bay last Monday. His non selection for the stiffs double header in Durham on Wednesday was baffling. He was, to put it mildly, rusty!
Notts had now failed to bowl their overs in the allocated time. They now had to have five men in the 30 yard circle for the last over. Smith hit Sams for 4. Hain hit Sams (4-0-39-2) for a straight four, 12 off the last over. Bears closed on 226 for 5 off 20 overs (Smith 5 not out). Hain 92 not out off 49 balls (6x4, 6x6) against his favourite opponents. He now has amassed 789 runs @98.62 in 17 T20 matches against Notts. Pennington, Sams and Harrison all went for less than 10 RPO, the less said about the rest the better.
The game looked over but Notts and Clarke in particular approached the chase with gusto. James hit Barnard (Radcliffe Road End) for four through point, nine off the opening over. Clarke hit Garton for four through extra cover. Garton conceded seven off the second over. Debutant Sylvester was to have a nightmare debut. He went for 11 in the third over. His opening T20 delivery was pulled over square leg boundary by Clarke. James hit the debutant for four through third man. The fourth over of the Notts innings was the most comic the hapless left arm seamer George Garton (2-0-36-0) leaking 29 runs somehow bowling three wides one of which was so far down the legside it found the boundary rope. Clarke had hit his opening four balls to the ropes (mid-on, wide long leg, extra cover and straight). The last ball and the ninth delivery of the over was smashed by Clarke for six over extra cover. Notts 56-0 off 4 overs and well above the DLS par score.
After two dot balls, James hit the third ball of Miles initial over for four through mid-on, eight off the over. Clarke tucked into Sylvester hitting him for a huge six over mid-wicket, he then nudged the following ball for an aerial four in the direction of third man, Clarke brought up his 50 off 29 balls with a four through point. A straight six came off the last delivery, 24 off the 6th over including a leg bye. Notts 88 for 0 after 6 overs.
Clarke (58 off 23 balls; 7x4, 4x6) swept the experienced Briggs straight to Barnard on the square leg ropes; 89 for 1 in the 7th over. Clarke had provided the launch pad. Haynes was dropped on 1 at cover by Latham off Briggs, five off the 7th over. An absolute crucial miss with Haynes’ career best innings proving pivotal for the home side.
James (26 off 19 balls; 3x4) holed out to Yates at long on off Lintott, 95 for 2 in the 8th over. The experienced Henriques came to the crease and played a calm supporting innings – 101 added for the third wicket in 9.3 overs. Haynes hit Briggs for six over mid-wicket, 11 off the 9th over. Lintott conceded six off the 10th over. Notts 115 for 2 after 10 overs.
Haynes hit Barnard for four over extra cover, eight off the 11th over. Haynes hit a lofted four off Miles through third man. The next ball was hit for four by Haynes through extra cover; 12 off the 12th over. Haynes hit Briggs for successive boundaries (straight and extra cover); 12 off the 13th over. Haynes hit Lintott for four through extra cover. Henriques then hit the left arm wrist spinner for four through point; 11 off the 14th over. Henriques hit Barnard for four behind the wicket. Haynes reached his 50 off 27 balls with a single off Barnard, eight off the over. Notts 166 for two off 15 overs – 61 required off five overs.
Haynes edged a boundary off Sylvester. Henriques hit a massive six over mid-wicket into the Larwood and Voce Stand. Haynes hit Sylvester (3-0-50-0) for four through mid-wicket, 16 off the 16th over. Henriques lofted Briggs for six over square leg. Haynes hit Briggs for a massive six into the Smith Cooper Stand bringing up the 100 partnership off 55 balls. Henriques (34 off 27 balls, 1x4, 2x6) holed out to the mid-wicket ropes caught by substitute Shaikh off Briggs (4-0-42-2); 196 for 3 off 17 overs. Haynes hit Lintott (4-0-31-1) for a straight four. Moores faced two dot balls and then hit a four through extra cover. Another dot ball followed. Notts 205 for 3 off 18 overs.
Haynes hit Barnard (4-0-39-0) for a straight six and then a straight boundary. A legside two followed and then two was scampered to mid-wicket. A four through third man followed. Two leg byes ended the over. Twenty runs off the penultimate over.
Two were required off the last over. At 21:24, Moores (8 not out) hit the first ball from Miles (2.1-0-24-0) for four through square leg. Haynes finished unbeaten on 89 off 41 balls (11x4, 3x6) beating his previous T20 best of 63 for Worcestershire against Lancashire at New Road in June 2023. Notts who had been bowled out for 57 in the equivalent fixture last year had gained a totally unexpected win. Next stop – Lancashire at Old Trafford at 16:00 today. MAG
Pravda: "it's bigger than ever" - by which do they mean there's more double headers or that they've doubled the points?
Who will be the four to be cut?
Will Silver Fox parachute another name into the squad and the final eleven? (he has form with doing this)
29/05
The weekend is being called Blast Off Weekend and a weekend now starts on a Thursday.
No clues from the Durham games, but Sammy King and Ben Martindale did themselves no favours. There was no appearance of either Tom Moores or Dane Schadendorf, nor were the two Australians involved.
I was being cheeky when suggesting that the Silver Fox would announce a non-committal 15 man squad, but that is exactly what he's done:
26/05
Is this fixture headlined as Blast Off?
Pointless?
Again the competition has had a mixed approach from the ECB, firstly freshening it up with some points inflation, only to take players and attention away by staging an ODI series at the same time. As for doubling the points, it makes little difference and by little I mean zero difference. Double of nil points for a defeat is still a big fat zilch points, not that Notts Outlaws are going to lose a single game this year are they? Four points for a win, two for a No Result/Tie.
This fixture is part of a double header with The Blaze v Bears playing in the afternoon.
I'd like to post some Notts Outlaws squad news but information about that is non-existant and we don't even know what the Silver Fox's strategy might be.
What we do know is that playing the tried, tested and failed players again and again, as in 2024 DOES NOT GET RESULTS. No matter how well they perform in the Championship - it's horses for courses and we all know who isn't suited to this short format.
The dire 2024 season finished with a refreshing input of younger players, the Silver Fox ought to use that as a framework to build around with whichever overseas players he has imported and bowlers he can muster.
We know one Australian is here, but what news of the other?
Tongue and Stone will most likely be not available for various reasons for the entire competition but Dillon Pennington has shown that he's fit and Conor McKerr has now turned his arm over for the 2s as well.
Add LPW, Daniel Sams and Calvin Harrison and we've got the basis of a bowling line-up with Moises, Monty and Freddie to fall back on if necessary.
Silver Fox will have his own ideas and we all await his first 15 man squad announcement. Perhaps we'll know better after today's (Notts) openers in the SET20 at CLS Riverside by deed or by omission.
Meanwhile Bears have not only lost Birmingham, they also lost two of their three overseas players
81 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteTOM MOORES to score 50 runs tonight ?
Odds are 33-1
Not quite eh!
DeleteSend mckerr back to Surrey asap after that bowling. Dave
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYes Anonymous - but what's name ? "Fabulous batting from Notts. Clarke and then Haynes were outstanding.
ReplyDeleteMcKerr was shocking."