Worcestershire MBC Group A at Welbeck CC Tie 2 pts

 

07/08

LORD AND POCKLINGTON BRING NOTTS BACK FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT TO TIE AT WELBECK

Notts came back from the dead at Welbeck today tying with Worcestershire having slumped to 145-7 chasing a very distant 327. Heroes of this unlikely comeback were Joe Pocklington (54 off 41 balls, 6x4, 2x6) in his second ever List A game and Rob Lord (83 off 59 balls, 9x4, 4x6) who hit the highest ever score by a Notts number 9 in List A cricket. They added 71 in 10 overs for the eighth wicket. After Pocklington departed Lord took over the big hitting mantle and with Hutton as his partner they constructed a stand of 92 in 10 overs. After Lord played on, Notts needed another 19 off 20 balls and it was only when the game reached the 47th and last over that Notts were favourites needing just four to win. Unfortunately, Notts could only obtain three including a bye off the last ball. Notts tying for the seventh time in List A cricket and their second instance against Worcestershire – having tied against them at Hereford 42 years ago. Earlier Worcestershire had posted 312-7 off 47.1 overs before rain stopped their innings being completed. Former Notts man Jake Libby (112* off 95 balls, 9x4, 2x6) with a cultured ton and the streaky Kashif Ali (101 off 104 balls, 8x4, 1x6) also getting to three figures.

An unchanged Notts won the toss and elected to bowl on another very blustery day on the same track used two days previously.

Hutton’s (Charlie French End) opening over went for 10, two boundaries for Mohammad and two wides. Hayes removed Mohammad (8) with his sixth delivery strangled down the legside with Moores taking the catch diving to his right, 11 for 1 off 2 overs. D'Oliveira hit Hayes for three consecutive boundaries. Two singles followed but then Hayes took a return catch low down in his follow through to remove D'Oliveira for 22; 40 for 2 after 8 overs. During the following over, Jones (7) was lbw to Hutton (44-3). Worcestershire 51 for 3 off 10 overs.

James succeeded Hayes for the 12th over. Lord replaced Hutton (9 0 40 1) in the 19th over. Kashif was dropped on 28 off Lord a difficult chance to Seecharan on the third man boundary with the ball swirling in the wind, 12 off the 21st over. Kashif’s innings was full of mistimed aerial shots which somehow evaded the fielders in the blustery conditions. Fortune well and truly favouring the brave. After a 5 over spell for James he was replaced by Pocklington. Kashif got to his 50 off 58 balls with a four through wide third man off Pocklington. Sams came on for the 27th over. Worcestershire 159 for 3 off 30 overs.

Libby got to his 50 off 54 balls in the 32nd over with a four off Pocklington (6 0 41 0). Kashif hit Sams for consecutive fours in the 33rd over. Hayes came back for the 34th over. Kashif hit Sams for a straight six in the 35th over. Next over, a two to mid-wicket off Hayes brought him his ton off 102 balls. Libby hit Sams for a six over long off. Kashif finally ran out of good fortune when attempting to ramp Sams he was caught behind by Moores who leapt like a salmon high to his left and bizarrely caught the ball in his right glove; 224 for 3 in the 37th over. The 4th wicket had added 180 in 28 overs. James came back for the 38th over and had Brookes (1) caught behind by Moores; 229 for 5. Lord returned for the 39th over. Cullen hit James for six over backward square leg. In the 41st over, Libby hit Lord for six over mid-wicket. Libby got to his 100 off 86 balls with a single off Lord (7 0 57 0) in the 43rd over. Cullen cut Sams for six over backward point; 10 off the 44th over. Hayes returned for and picked up his third wicket having Cullen (27) caught at mid-wicket by Haynes, 284 for 6 in the 45th over. Sams (8 0 70 1) conceded 12 off the 46th over. Waite (13) was caught on the mid-wicket ropes by Haynes off Hayes (with career best figures of 9 0 63 4); 306 for 7. James (8.1 0 31 1) returned and had bowled a single ball when rain stopped play at 14:34. Worcestershire 312 for 7 off 47.1 overs with Libby on 112 and Singh on 2. Their innings never restarted. Notts had struggled with both the bobbly outfield and the gusty wind. However the Worcestershire fielders found the uneven outfield an even bigger challenge with numerous instances of ones and twos being changed into fours as the undulating outfield proved their outdoing.

Notts required a DLS adjusted target of 327 off 47 overs at 6.95 RPO. Khurram Shehzad (Spion Kop) and Waite opened the bowling. Waite conceding 10 off his opening over with Hameed hitting him for two boundaries. Waite went for 12 in the 4th over, three boundaries for Slater. Hameed (13) lost his middle stump to Waite; 39 for 1 in the 6th over. Khurram Shehzad conceded 10 in the 7th over, two boundaries for Haynes. Notts 61 for 1 off 10 overs.

Finch replaced Khurram Shehzad for the 11th over. Brookes came on for the 14th over. The boundaries had dried up and Slater (41 off 40 balls; 7x4) mistimed a pull shot off Finch and skied the ball to square leg where Brookes took the catch; 84 for 2 in the 15th over. Haynes plonked Brookes for six over mid-wicket, 10 off the 18th over. Finch conceded 11 off the 19th over - boundaries for Seecharan and Haynes. Seecharan (17) took an agricultural heave at Brookes and missed and departed bowled. Moores was then bowled for a golden duck, 121 for 4 in the 20th over.

D'Oliveira came on and Haynes (51 off 50 balls, 3x4, 1x6) who reached his 50 with a boundary was out next ball caught in the covers by Jones off the leg spinner; 129 for 5 in the 21st over. Sams (10) was well caught by substitute Ben Allisson on the extra cover ropes off D'Oliveira; 141 for 6 in the 23rd over. James (6) was caught behind by Cullen standing up to Brookes, 145 for 7 in the 24th over. Notts who had lost 5 wickets for 24 runs in 27 balls looked to be heading for a very heavy defeat. Lord joined Polklington with Notts needed an extremely distant 182 in 23 overs @7.91 RPO. The crowd of around of 850 started leaving in their droves but the inexperienced pair slowly turned the match around with Pocklington the dominant partner to begin with.

In the 31st over, Pocklington hit D'Oliveira (6-0-44-2) for 4 and then for six over mid-wicket. Lord hit the last ball of the over for four through backward point; 19 off the over. Drizzle started to fall and the sky was slate grey, somehow though Sookholme managed to dodge the deluge and play continued on another very uncomfortable day for the spectators who had contend once more with the high winds.

Pocklington hit two boundaries off Brookes (10 0 51 3) in the 32nd over. Notts reached 200 in the 33rd over bowled by Khurram Shehzad. Singh came on and his first two balls were hit for legside boundaries by Pocklington. The third ball was hit by the promising left-handed all-rounder for a straight six to bring up his 50 off 49 balls. Pocklington (54) fell to a catch at long on by Kashif off Singh; 216 for 8 in the 34th over. Notts still needed 111 in 13.1 overs @8.43 RPO with only two wickets standing.

Lord then went into overdrive smashing Khurram Shehzad for six over mid-wicket; 16 off the 37th over including four byes. Notts reached 250 with a Lord six over long on off Finch. A straight four for Lord brought him his 50 off 44 balls (his previous List A best of 12); 15 off the 38th over. Singh conceded three off the 39th over. Finch went for 9 off the 40th over, boundaries for both batsmen. Singh went for four off the 41st over. Lord hit Finch (8-0-71-1) for six over mid-wicket and then Hutton pulled him for four through square leg; 17 off the 42nd over. Notts 290-8 needing 37 off 5 overs.

Lord hit Singh (5-0-36-1) to the third man ropes and then Lord cover drove him to the boundary;  11 off the 43rd over. Lord (83) hit Waite for a straight six (the last boundary of the Notts innings) but then agonising he played on, 308 for 9 in the 44th over. Lord had beaten Samit Patel’s record (61* versus Sussex at Hove in 2005)  for the highest score by a Notts number nine in List A cricket. Worcestershire still favourites.

Khurram Shehzad conceded five off the 45th over and Waite (8-0-52-2) went for 8 off the 46th over. Notts needed four off the last over bowled by Khurram Shehzad and for the first time in their innings were favourites albeit marginally. However with just a single wicket left they could not take any risks. A single for Hutton was followed by a dot ball and then a single for Hayes. Hutton though could not score off balls four and five. Notts needed two to win off the last ball. Hutton swung and missed but in a desperate scramble ran a bye as Cullen’s throw hit Khurram Shehzad (10-0-62-0) on the back and the ball tamely ran into no man’s land. Notts 326-9 off 47 overs with Hutton on 27 and Hayes on 9. Notts will be the far happier of the two sides. Decimated by hundred call ups they had faced very strong opposition. Notts had picked up the most unlikely two points. Worcestershire will be kicking themselves for not seeing the game out being guilty of bowling too short and wide too often. 

A total of 642 runs had been scored off 94.1 overs @6.81 RPO in a memorable game where the crowd who stayed will not forget in a hurry. Paul Franks will be very pleased with his inexperienced cricketers efforts. MAG

This was the squad on Tuesday:

Ben Slater

Lyndon James
Ben Martindale
Haseeb Hameed

Jack Haynes

Sammy King

Sam Seecharan

Tom Moores

Daniel Sams

Joe Pocklington

Brett Hutton

Rob Lord

Tom Giles

James Hayes

Giles, Martindale and King were the unlucky ones to miss out then.

It's obviously much too soon to expect another Notts days cricket at Trent Bridge, currently only six remain in 2025, but yesterday was a good step in the right direction.

We might need more batting depth or other spin options at other venues but for the Welbeck wicket, this squad worked a treat. A good start for The General's campaign!

Announced this afternoon on Pravda, that squad remains the same for tomorrow's game.

Quite odd that two of the country's in form players, Tom Moores or Ethan Brookes haven't been whisked away by a franchise.