v Derbyshire Falcons FLT20 at County Ground, Derby

Derbyshire slaughtered

A sell out crowd of 4,999 witnessed Derbyshire get thumped by a superior Notts by six wickets with 15 balls unused. The home team supporters suffering from delusions of grandeur following Derby’s 100% record in the first three games were treated to one-sided bore on a wicket which was not suited to Twenty/20 cricket, a typical Racecourse slow and low wicket. All but four overs of the Notts innings were bowled by spinners and home captain Madsen missed a trick by not bowling Chesney Hughes!  Entertaining it certainly wasn’t as Notts scampered their way to victory after man of the match Lumb’s initial opening burst; his 49 off 41 balls was a classy effort.

Hussey won the toss on a bright sunny evening, the Notts support was a lot smaller than normal for the fixture as tickets were all sold out on Thursday by the gager home support. Gurney as he had done at Old Trafford bowled extremely well from the City End. Indeed his first over should have been a maiden, but Grim Tim harshly adjudged one of his deliveries to be a wide.  Ian “I can’t stand up for falling down” Butler removed Durston caught behind in the second over. Chesney Hughes fell for a seven ball duck as he sliced a Gurney delivery straight to Titch Taylor at point. Chanderpaul as he had done in a previous fixture I witnessed at Grace Road took a while to get going, but he did not really push on. Jake Ball replacing Number One in the Notts line up, got him to edge to Read to depart for 13, 45 for three off eight overs. The home team were struggling.

Patel came on and the Madsen and Redfern scampered a run of consecutive twos. They got carried away with the scampering and Madsen went for a silly single, Read through down the stumps and the captain was run out for 36 off 28 balls. Redfern (3) fell to Read’s third catch as Patel picked up his first scalp; 68 for five in the 12^th over. Poynton (6) had his middle stump removed by Ball who had a good game with 4-0-20-2 and a couple of excellent boundary stops. Next on the conveyor belt was Jon Clare (3) who was caught at long off by Taylor off Samit, next ball as the batsman had crossed Albie Morkel was bowled for nine as Patel completed his spell with 4-0-16-3. The Notts all rounder always seems to have a good game in this annual floodlight fixture. 84 for eight with just four overs left, Wainwright (15*) and Groenewald (24) tried hard to attain respectability adding 24, before Butler had the South African seamer Groenewald caught on the ropes by Mullaney. Footitt seemingly playing just as a batter got two off his single ball, as Derby closed on woeful 115 for nine for 20 overs, as the home crowd remained almost completely silent. Gurney (4-0-14-1) was excellent and talk of resting him today up at The Riverside seems ridiculous and could cost Notts the game. Butler who lacks balance on his delivery stride and hence accuracy was rather expensive once again with 4-0-34-2.

Hales and Lumb added 42 in 34 balls as Groenewald and Morkel could not stem the flow, the powerful Lumb looked in fine form. Play was interrupted briefly as a frisky local Lamb decided to do a streak. Hales (10) was bowled by a delivery that span by slow left armer Wainwright. Next ball and for the only time in the night the locals woke up from their slumbers as Wessels departed leg before first ball as Wainwright picked his second wicket. Notts best two batters of 2013, Lumb (49) and Taylor (34) nudged, nurdled and scampered 50 in nine overs on the desperately slow pitch. Lumb after hitting the games only six, fell next ball run out by Clare following a mix up with Taylor, 92 for three. Taylor became Wainwright’s third victim edging to slip for a 40-ball 34 an innings which contained just two boundaries. Hussey (11*) and Patel (8*) saw Notts home as the locals headed for the exit gates. Today’s game in Durham will prove a much harder test for the Green and Gold. 

The Outlaws XI
 Alex Hales,
 Michael Lumb, 
Riki Wessels,
 James Taylor,
 Samit Patel,
 David Hussey (C),
 Steven Mullaney,
 Chris Read (W),
 Ian Butler,
 Jake Ball,
 Harry Gurney,

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Compton not happy

Nick Compton has had a whine that he's not had a fair crack of the whip re: the England Test team - hey mate join the queue, it goes back to 1877.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23174449Com
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