v Yorkshire Vikings FLT20 at Headingley

Spin twins win the day for Outlaws as past lessons appear to have been learnrd from

After having posted what appeared to be an inadequate total, Notts triumphed at Headingley by the comfortable margin of 25 runs. After two unsatisfactory performances, Notts finally turned to spin and spin twins White and Patel were the key to the victory.

Yorkshire were without Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques who has a muscle rib injury. Notts were unchanged from Friday’s game. Rafiq won the toss and inserted Notts on a dank day in front of a crowd of 7,100. The pitch had short straight boundaries at both ends. Sidebottom opened up, Lumb narrowly survived a skier into the outfield but off the fifth ball edged to keeper Hodd to depart for 6, Patel then edged his first ball passed the vacant second slip for 4, an eventful first over. In the fifth over Hales was comprehensive bowled by Liam Plunkett for five off only nine balls, as he had been starved of the strike by the impressive Patel; 33 for two. Patel hit Rashid for mighty six over his favoured extra cover area and then tucked into the head-banded Jack Brooks hitting him for two fours and a pulled six in the same over. Titch Taylor (8) much touted as KP’s test replacement was unlucky when he smashed a ball from Plunkett straight to Rashid at mid-wicket, 57 for three. Notts a batsman light without the injured Wessels looked to be struggling once again. Hussey and Patel added 44 in seven overs, before the latter lofted skipper Rafiq straight to long on. Patel’s 46 off 37 balls turned out to be the most impressive of the day. Notts 99 for four in the 14^th over. Mullaney (3) struggled to get going and was caught in the deep by Dan Hodgson the sole victim for Rich Pyrah whose four overs went for just 14. Read came and went quickly for a 5-ball two falling to a catch by the juggling Hodgson in front of the East Stand as Rafiq picked up his second wicket; 110 for six in the 17^th. Notts though did manage to get 39 runs off the last three overs as Butler used the long handle as he hit 18 off just nine balls. Butler hit two sixes including one of Sid’s final ball as the former Notts man went for 31 runs off three overs. An accurate throw by Lyth removed Butler to a run out. Hussey (52*)  saw Notts to 155 for eight at the innings close with White run out off the last ball without facing a ball. Hussey’s innings came off 42 balls with four fours and one six. Notts total looked 20 runs below par as once again they had a mid innings wobble. The Tykes though were generous with the extras conceding 15. The normally expensive Plunkett went for only 26 runs from his four overs and Rafiq had figures of 4-0-29-2.

Adam Lyth dropped by Read down the leg side was out to the last ball of the first over, caught easily by Patel in the covers as Gurney picked up the wicket. Joe Sayers normally viewed as a slow scorer put bat to ball and added 67 in 10 overs as Yorkshire appeared to be on top. Patel removed Sayers for 30-ball 38 as he departed to catch at long on by Mullaney in front of the Football Stand. The match was virtually level based on the Vera Duckworth calculations. Three overs later White who was given his full allocation for a change had Hodgson stumped by Read  as Northallerton born right hander departed for a 36-ball 32, 90 for three in the 14^th over.  Hodd who had an untidy match behind the stumps was leg before to White off the last ball of the 16^th over. Yorkshire now needed an unlikely 52 runs off the last four overs as the spinners had tightened the screw. Off the next ball potential Danger man Gary Ballance (18) fell to a superb catch by White on the mid wicket boundary off Samit; the Leeds fans behind him on the Western Terrace went silent. The match was as good as over. Plunkett fell to catch by Patel off the last over of the innings bowled by Ian Butler. Yorkshire closed on 130 for six and had lost by 25 runs.

Patel was man of the match with 46 and 4-0-19-2, White had figures of 4-0-18-2 and Hussey had a solitary over which cost eight runs, as nine overs of spin had gone for just 45 runs. Notts had been clearly doing their homework. The fielding, two Shahzad fumbles apart, was improved but there is still clearly an over reliance on one of the openers putting bat to ball. Derbyshire next up on Tuesday when heavy showers are forecast. Notts now have five wins out of seven games, having beaten each of the opposition in their opening encounter and lost the return to the two teams we have played twice. MAG

5/87 by Matt Carter for a struggling Lincolnshire vs Staffordshire

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