T20 Quarter final 2012

Hampshire make experience tell

As feared the selection of three uncapped seamers cost Notts a place in Twenty/20 semi-finals. Their combined X-rated bowling figures of 11-0-115-2 do not need any further explanation. If Notts are celebrating a championship triumph in mid-September the amazing omission of Andre Adams will be forgotten, anything less and this night will be remember for all the wrong reasons despite this competition being very much of the Mickey Mouse variety.

Hampshire won the toss and to my surprise inserted Notts and gave the home side a much greater chance of progression.

Hampshire though bowled to a plan conceded only three extras and fielded like tigers. The end result was Notts had a slightly below par score of 178 for seven.

The tone was set early when off in the first over Hales hit Dawson straight to cover to depart for a duck. Wessels 6-ball innings was certainly entertaining his 19 contained three fours, a six, a single before top edging Mascarenhas to third man; 25 for two only 11 balls gone.

Lumb and Taylor kept the scoreboard ticking adding 35 runs in five overs. Taylor slashed Maxwell’s off breaks to point to depart for a scratchy 10. Three overs later the excellent Lumb went in similar fashion; his 39 came off 32 balls; 80 for four in the 11^th over.

Voges and the excellent Patel upped the ante and added 62 in seven overs, before the Twenty/20 captain fell for 33 being caught at long on off Danny Briggs who eventually had figures of 4-0-23-1.

Patel’s excellent 33-ball 60 came to end in the last over as hit Maxwell to Katich to point. He left to a standing ovation from the 11,127 crowd. Mullaney was bowled off the last ball of the innings with Read unbeaten on 10 as Notts closed on 178 for seven. Notts had batted well and apart from Hales’ early aberration cannot be blamed for the subsequent defeat.

With Adams sitting in the pavilion, Pattinson lame, Fletcher dieting and the experienced pair of Phillips and Franks ignored. The last place was either going to go to White or Ball, the DofC choosing the latter despite only having bowled one over in the competition previously!

Gurney removed Jimmy Adams off the seventh ball of the reply caught behind, but the score had already reached 13 by this stage. Vince survived a very difficult chance at point as Taylor put down the chance at full stretch; Patel though missed the stumps off the ricochet as a run out chance went begging the resultant four overthrows adding salt into wounds.

Carter fell in his delivery stride but suffered no major damage as Vince and Katich added 25 in three overs before Vince was caught at mid on off Carter.

The weak bowling line up went for ten an over in the power play. However, Mullaney removed Katich for 25, Jake Ball taking the catch at backward point. Over 10, saw Notts for the first time become favourites as Ervine (caught Hales at deep mid wicket) and Maxwell (stumped) both were victims to Patel, Hampshire now 78 for five.

Instead of letting Patel bowl out, Voges elected to leave his last over until later. McKenzie who won a championship game here in 2010 took a liking to the cover boundary and with the excellent Dawson in support, Hampshire got back in the game, as the uncapped seamers showed their inexperience. Patel returned and had Dawson (30) caught in the deep.

Twelve were needed off the last over bowled by Carter. A dot ball and then a single got the crowd in the frenzy as McKenzie called for a runner as he went down with cramp.. Successive fours from the South African meant that only three were required off two. Carter forgot about the runner and foolhardly threw down the stumps and a single was converted into two. The scores were now level but Hampshire had lost fewer wickets and had already won the game, with the field in McKenzie hit the final ball for four as Hampshire were deserved victors. McKenzie’s unbeaten 79 saw him win the man of match award over Patel’s 60 and 4-0-26-3.

With Adams in harness this game would have undoubtedly resulted in a home triumph but the DofC obviously believes despite near certain international call ups in August and September, Notts still have an excellent chance of maintaining a championship challenge. Only time will tell whether he is proven right...MAG