Another well-Taylored innings at Truro
A crowd of around 800 spectators on a sunny, warm albeit windy day witnessed Notts triumph by four wickets against the Netherlands at Boscawen Park, Truro yesterday. The visiting Notts contingent numbered around 40, the Orangemen had about 10 followers, the rest of the crowd were made up of locals.
The ground was approximately one mile south east of the City Centre and is situated next to the Fal estuary and is surrounded by the River on two sides, a steep hill to another and has a very rural and picturesque feel with the Spire of Truro Cathedral in the distance. It turns out that the CEO of the Dutch Cricket Association is old friends with the Director of the Cornish Sporting Club, who organized this fixture along with the Wurzels versus Unicorns fixture the previous Friday which may partially explain the perverse scheduling of this fixture.
The venue had a good selection of food and drink in various marquees; had a well appointed Pavilion at third man and also a replay screen incorporating an electronic scoreboard. The mechanics of the scoreboard were somewhat idiosyncratic having Peter Seelaar bowling 8.9 overs at one stage plus having Lumb and Unsure opening the Notts batting for Notts. Maybe though given Mr Hales extremely indifferent form presently this may be apt description! Basically the Truro club could not have been accommodating to the visiting supporters.
Notts brought in Sam Wood and Fletch as Gurney was rested along with Ball who had a slight back niggle. The Dutch won the toss and on a slow, low wicket with a history of assisting spin bowling made the correct decision to bat. They were rattled early doors when the impressive Shahzad bowling from the City End had Myburgh plumb leg before and the bowled Michael Swart via an inside edge on leg stump, 11 for two. Read brought his spinners early with Patel bowling in the power play. In truth Samit and Graeme White were not at their best and had combined figures of 14-0-80-0. Sam Wood bowling from the River End did though remove keeper Barresi to a reverse sweep as Steve Mullaney took the catch at short third man, 58 for three after 14. Gruijters and Tommy Cooper added 45 in 10 overs before the impressive Mullaney yorked the former for 25. Next over, Cooper was bowled off stump by Fletcher one short of his half century made off 65 balls with five fours and two sixes. Szwarczynski (14) holed out to Shahzad at deep cover as Mullaney took his second wicket, 123 for six. Dutch skipper Borren added 57 with Dominic Michael (the top scorer in last month’s match at The Bridge) in 10 overs as the Orangemen took the power play. Hales bad day was summed up when he spilled a catch he never completely judged in the swirling wind and which he threw for four; Borren the lucky beneficiary. Borren (28) was run out by a mile as Shahzad had time to aim and fire off his own bowling. Michael finished on unbeaten 34 as the Dutch closed on 188 for seven. Mullaney had figures of 8-0-30-2 and Shahzad 6-2-24-2 and were well supported by Fletcher 6-0-29-1 and Wood 6-1-19-1.
Notts needed 4.7 RPO to win and Hales impatient on the slow wicket drove to mid off to depart for a three ball duck, the trudge by the pavilion was slow and painful. He was buoyed today by selection for the England Twenty/20 squad for the two matches against the Kiwis alongside colleague Lumb. The bowler was Ouirijn Gunning who was making his debut for the “home” team.
Lumb looked in fine form once again and added 86 in 15 overs with Taylor. Lumb fell to Cooper’s off spin being caught at cover by skipper Borren for a 38-ball 35. Patel fresh from his fine innings against the Bears fell for only eight caught by Jamil at mid on as Cooper picked up his second wicket, 98 for three. Ed Cowan on his final appearance for Notts before joining the Aussie Ashes squad took 14 balls to get off the mark but aided by four overthrows scratched his way to 18 as the wicket was getting increasingly lower and slower before falling leg before to Western Australian Swart’s off breaks, 140 for four. Chris Read could not get the pace of the wicket either and fell to catch by Jamil at backward point off Borren’s dibbly dobblers for eight. Notts were wobbling slightly at 153 for five with a run a ball required. Mullaney probably more recent exposure to playing on slow/low club wickets than most of colleagues provided the muscle and impetus as he scored 26 off 16 balls including two sixes. Mull was run out backing up but with only three required White did not face a ball as Titch Taylor finished the game with a straight drive with seven balls unused. Taylor was calmness personified as he finished with unbeaten 90 off 119 balls with nine fours. Another typical scampering innings which was the bedrock of the Notts reply. He has 408 runs in the competition at an average of 136.00 as Notts are now seven wins from seven games. No peace for the wicked, Notts are back in action tomorrow as Sussex are in town along with the long awaited return of David Hussey.
.................................................................................................................................................. James Taylor makes it 7 from 7
Another match winning knock from James Taylor with 90 not out helped Outlaws continue their winning streak to 7 games today with a win over the Netherlands in Cornwall.At a sunny Boscawen Park where the Cornish Cricket Festival continued, Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat in Notts Outlaws' 7th Group A YB40 match, Sam Wood (replacing Jake Ball, who has a bad back) and Luke Fletcher both in the eleven.
Openers Stephan Mybergh and Michael Swart went cheaply to Ajmal Shahzad, 2/11, so Wes Baressi and Tom Cooper (49) were forced to play more circumspectly, along with James Gruijters. The Outlaws fielding was good through-out the innings other than an Alex Hales drop on the boundary of Dom Michaels when 6 wickets were down. 3/58, 4/103 (23.5 overs), 5/104 6/123 (29.3 overs) The scoring rate was more conservative than what might have been expected on a small ground until the seventh wicket pair of Captain Borren and the aforementioned Dom Michaels who survived to take the power-play and their partnership beyond 50 at an increased rate which resulted, Luke Fletcher (in for Gurney) and Ajmal Shahzad taking the final overs. Shahzad the pick of the bowling also ran out Peter Borren (28), 180/7 in the final over. Netherlands closed their overs on 188/7, with the pitch beginning to show some signs of wear.
Michael Lumb was next out for 35, 86/2 15.4 overs, quickly followed by Samit Patel for 8 19.4 overs, which brought ex- Excelsior club player (Schiedam, Rotterdam) Ed Cowan to the middle.
Australian Swart grabbed Ed Cowan, in his final game for Notts, wicket LBW for 18
With 10 overs left, 49 runs were required, with the pitch being two-paced and wearing badly - the old soft ball getting increasingly difficult to get away.
Read became his opposite number Borren's first wicket at 153/5 at the beginning of the 35th over.
A quick-fire cameo that swung the whole tempo of the match Notts' way from Steven Mullaney, unfortunately was run out in the penultimate over for 26 but next ball James Taylor clubbed the winning boundary with 7 balls to spare.
James Taylor 90* saw Outlaws to 7 out of 7 in the YB40 with this 4 wicket win - a MAG report from the ground is expected tomorrow
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Sam Wood is included in the squad for the trek to Boscawen Park, Truro to play the Netherlands tomorrow:
Alex Hales
Michael Lumb
James Taylor
Samit Patel
Eddie Cowan
Chris Read
Steven Mullaney
Ajmal Shahzad
Graeme White
Jacob Ball
Luke Fletcher
Sam Wood
Wood's inclusion is mentioned via twitter but not on the website, you can draw various inferences from that omission but inclusion in the first team squad is a step forward and he has clearly recovered from last week's injury.
Andrew Carter is having an X-ray on his back to check for a season-ending stress fracture.
Chris Adams' season has ended as Surrey coach - sacked today. The opinionated Alec Stewart takes over the role. Ian Salisbury has also left the club today.
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