v Leicestershire Foxes FLT20 at Trent Bridge

Outlaws too strong for Foxes

Notts cruised to a comfortable victory over a poor Leicestershire side in the opening fixture of the Twenty/20 season.

With rain most of the day, Notts will please with the 7,390 attendance. The game was delayed 15 minutes due to the mopping up operations, but carried on uninterrupted despite light rain falling during the Foxes innings.

Hussey won the toss and inserted Leicester, Ian Butler debuted for Notts. With Gurney presumably still not completely fit after limping off against Sussex Notts included Jake Ball who had an indifferent performance.

Cobb (21) rode his luck twice edging through the vacant slip position and got to 21 before losing his middle stump to Butler bowling from the Pavilion End. 40 for one in the fifth over. Queenslander Joe Burns (24) lasted five overs before being stumped by Read off the impressive Patel, 77 for two. Notts were struggling to stem the flow of runs with inviting short boundaries on the Bridgford Road side of the ground. Not helped by bowling with a wet ball, Mullaney had a rare off night with the ball going for 35 off three overs; a woeful bit of fielding from Ball who threw for four overthrows did not help matters either. Indeed, the Notts fielding was not up to 2013 standards with Hussey dropping a sitter offered by Shakib Al Hasan (31) and the ground fielding being somewhat sloppy, Bangladeshi Hasan added 47 in four overs before Patel caught and bowled him as the ball come back down from orbit, 124 for three in the 12 over. Leicestershire then suffered a middle order wobble which effectively cost the game. Hussey came on for the fifteenth over and with his second ball bowled O’Brien middle stump for a 345-ball 47. Worse was to follow when Boyce wandered out of his crease and was stumped first ball, 127 for five. Leicester’s soft under belly had been exposed; 127 for five. Hussey sole over had picked up two wickets for five runs. Shiv Thakor making his baseball debut was next out departing caught behind from a short pitched ball from Butler, who was playing the Patto role. The chrome domed Thornely was caught at point off Butler for eight, 143 for seven.

Harrovian left hander Rob Taylor scored a rapid 14-ball 28 as Shahzad and Ball took same tap, Leicestershire eventually closed on a competitive 183 for seven. Patel finished with two for 26. Taylor fell to well judged catch by Wessels off Shahzad; whose final ball of the innings was hit for six by Eckersley.

Notts needed over nine an over but got off to lightening start as rejuvenated Hales and the classy Lumb added 37 in just 20 balls. Hales (24) finally mistimed one being caught close in after skying one off the Zimbabwean Ireland. Lumb took a liking to short boundary and the occupants of well populated Fridge were diving for cover. A straight six into the Pavilion was probably his best shot. Wessels (15) kept him company for 22 balls before holing out to Hasan’s slow left armers, 79 for two off seven overs. Lumb’s 29 ball assault finally ended when he was adjudged leg before to Taylor. Lumb out for 50 with four fours and four sixes; a fine innings. Notts now only needed 84 off 10.3 overs. Hussey and Taylor played it sensibly running many twos to the longer Fox Road of the ground. Leicester’s bowling was poor Taylor donating five wides and Thornely bowling a no ball. Man of the match Hussey (49*) and Taylor (37*) saw Notts home with 14 balls unused as their unbroken partnership of 84 came off 49 balls. Notts off to a winning start and they had batted excellently although I am sure they will be brushing up on their bowling and fielding skills before heading up to Manchester next Monday. Lancashire are likely to provide much harder opposition than The Foxes. Notts have yet to win a Twenty/20 game at the venue.  

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The eleven Outlaws for the Foxes clash are:

Hales
Lumb
Wessels
Taylor
Patel
Hussey*
Mullaney
Read x
Butler
Shahzad
Ball

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International Fast Butler

New Zealander Ian Butler has been announced as the International Fast Bowler stepping in to fill the void left by Andy Carter and from last season left by Darren Pattinson.

After tonight's T20I he will become available for Outlaw duty against the Foxes on Friday, along with Lumb and Hales. 

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International Fast Bowler

Confirmed, Mick Newell is looking to announce the signing of an International Fast Bowler tomorrow (Thursday).................... will it be Darren fit again Pattinson or A N Other.

With Andy Carter injured (out for probably the rest of the season) and Graeme White on loan at Sticklebacks, effectively blocking him from Outlaws selection for group matches Notts are a little light in the bowling options without dipping into the untested reserves of the second eleven who frankly have had a run of awful results in their T20 competition and took another pounding in the Trophy this week (against Friday's opponents Leicester).