v Durham Dynamos T20 at Chester le Street

Dynamos fail to generate as Outlaws charge!



After the humiliation of two weeks before, Notts turned the tables on Durham and galloped to an easy seven wicket victory.

On yet another cool and cloudy day where Mr Sunshine failed to show Adam Voges won an important toss and inserted the home team. Notts were unchanged from Grace Road, Patel having been released by England; with the new regulations governing LOI’s with separate balls from both ends, the likelihood of playing a second spinner is much less likely so Samit may appear more regularly than first thought.

The wicket was pitched right on the pavilion side of the square with small boundaries all round, not unlike Trent Bridge since The Fridge appeared. Most of the 3,000 crowd were gathered on the Pavilion side, the away following was once again  in single figures with no attendees from either Clifton Grove and Sheffield, Collingham though was much to my surprise represented.

Mustard pulled Gurney’s first ball for four but it was clear straight away that the free scoring wicket from a fortnight ago was now a stodgy slow wicket badly affected by all the recent rain.  On the first ball of the third over the well-known “cricketer for rent” Herschelle Gibbs hit a drive straight to Voges who caught the ball low down at mid off, Carter the bowler. Two overs later the Colonel tried to go aerial off Gurney but was caught by Patel at point, 19 for two in the fifth. Notts bowling and fielding was excellent and the screw was really turning when the big hitting Ben Stokes pulled Carter only to find Pattinson at fine leg.

 The fourth wicket went to the first ball of the eighth when captain Benkenstein caught by Voges off the ever-reliable Mullaney’s first ball, at 30 for four. The game was over. Johann Myburgh the former Hampshire player added 60 in nine overs with Gordon Muchall but the Dynamos fuse was failing to fire, just six fours were hit in the entire innings, although Myburgh did pick up one maximum as Gurney was flicked into the middle of the members. Myburgh after a 41-ball 45 was caught at long on by Mullaney as Gurney picked up his second wicket.  The scorers meanwhile seem to get lost in all the “excitement” as for a large proportion of the innings both scoreboards were out of operation, much to the crowd’s annoyance. The acceleration never came as Durham closed on a sorry 114 for five from their 20 overs. All the Notts bowlers had done their job Mullaney and Patel going for just 20 runs, and the most expensive was Gurney with 4-0-28-2.

The first five balls of the innings from Rushworth were dot balls but Lumb hit ball six for four as Notts got to 31 for 0 after four overs as Hales hit Bunny Onions for successive fours. Hales looked in good touch as the opening pair added 62 in 53 balls when Borthwick bowling from the Lumley End fooled the advancing Hales who was easily stumped, Hales out for a run a ball 30. Wessels was caught behind top edging a slow bouncer from the returning Onions, but Notts were clearly trying to increase their net run rate. Man of the match Lumb after hitting Borthwick over the ropes, before slicing Claydon to Plunkett at extra cover for a well made 46. The final 20 or so runs came quickly as Voges (21*) and Patel (9*) saw Notts home with 22 balls unused. Another comfortable victory after the disappointment of the Derby washout. Durham meanwhile still look a team short on confidence.  


News..............


Next Monday Mervyn Westfield and Danish Kaneria are due to stand before a disciplinary panel; visas allowing.

RIP Tom Maynard, a very sad, tragic waste today.