CB 40 Match 12 v Lancashire at Trent Bridge

TOM SMITH GIVES OUTLAWS AN 


ALI BYE

A fine all-round display from Tom Smith proved the difference between the sides in Ali Brown’s farewell professional appearance.

With Hales and Patel away with England, Notts opted for a young team with Jake Ball and Brett Hutton coming into the team with Phillips, Fletcher and Adams rested.

Lancashire meanwhile went with an experienced line-up as their youngsters were involved in a semi-final against Somerset at Taunton Vale. Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat on a dank, miserable and windy day where the only surprise was that the full 80 overs were bowled despite intermittent drizzle. The floodlights were burning bright for most of the Notts innings, without them, bad light would have no doubt ended play long before the final ball was bowled at 1930.

Hutton and Ball in particular leaked runs as Lancashire got off to a brisk start, Stephen Moore fell to fine catch low down at mid-off by Brown for 12, 28 for one. Tom Smith though was in fine form and added 101 with Captain Stephen Croft in 15 overs as no Notts bowler could exert any control. Croft finally sliced Mullaney to short third man to depart for 32. White and Mullaney belatedly slowed the run rate down as Karl Brown played on in slow motion off Mullaney for 15, 166 for three. The match though lacked intensity, not helped by the dire weather. Smith reached his ton off 94 balls and finally fell for 117 to a catch at deep mid-wicket by Mullaney off White, an innings which included one six and 16 fours off 104 balls. Horton put bat to ball to finish unbeaten on 43 as the last two balls of the innings from young Hutton went for ten, as Lancashire closed on a commanding 248 for five. Notts ground fielding did not reach its normal standards not helped by greasy ball in the wet conditions. White dropped a catch and Notts were also penalised a crucial two runs for not having sufficient number of players in the circle during a power play. Pattinson was mysteriously only given seven overs to finish with two for 32. Hutton (6-0-41-0) outbowled Ball (3-0-31-0) and based on the evidence of this game and the Sri Lanka game three weeks ago, looks a far better prospect.

Notts opened with Mullaney once again but despite getting off to a rapid start, he fell for 22 with the score on 28 holing out off Tom Smith. Brown in his last innings was strangled down the leg side for 18 off that man Smith. He departed to a good ovation in front of a sparse crowd of 2,500. Wessels fell leg before to Smith in his next over for 5. Elstone and Darren Bravo added 71 in 11 overs, before Elstone went aerial to be caught by Smith off Kyle Hogg for 26, 137 for four in the 23^rd over. Bravo fell two overs leg before to Stephen Parry for a run a ball 62 which included five fours and one six into The Fridge. A big innings from Bravo is not far away. Spinners Kerrigan, Parry and Croft were turning the screw as the run rate was increasing. Franks’ once again showing his weakness against spin and appeared bamboozled and eventually departed off Parry for a 14-ball seven. Read and White turned the game round by added 71 in ten overs with the captain once again in fine form. With Notts now needing only nine off eight balls, White played an extremely foolish scoop shot to depart with his stumps akimbo, 

as Smith picked up four wickets to go with his ton, a first for Lancashire in List A cricket. Hutton came in and got a single, so Notts needed eight of the last over. Three singles came off the first three balls of last over bowled by ex Notts loanee Hogg. Read knowing a boundary was needed went for the big shot but fell to catch at mid-wicket for a splendid 64 off 50 balls which included one pulled six off Hogg to bring up his 50. The batsman had crossed and Hogg was now on a hat trick as Hutton was caught at point for three. Pattinson could only manage two off the last ball as Notts fell two runs short of a tie. The no ball earlier had cost them a point. Smith finished with four for 48. More importantly the two losses against Lancashire had cost them qualification in the competition that Director of Cricket has used as a breeding ground for his younger members of squad.