v Bangladesh A at Trent Bridge

Tillcock turns the tables on Bangladesh A

Wow, what an enjoyable game that was. Granted there was no pressure of semi final qualification or points to stress about but, a game where Outlaws fielded three List A debutees; George Bacon, Adam Tillcock and Tom Rowe, who as a collective bunch proved to be more than a match for Bangladesh A, just! 

The game was a veritable roller-coaster ride for the splattering of spectators present, hemmed-into the Pavilion and Fridge only; first Outlaws dominated with ball, then Bangladesh with their Internationally (limited) experienced performers pasted the Outlaw bowling to all points of the compass, to be followed by a familiar Outlaws stuttering start to an innings followed by a terminal-looking loss of wickets, only for a youngster and a veteran to join forces and turn the game on its head. Outlaws won the game by 4 wickets with 7 balls to spare, Bangladesh's fourth straight tour defeat.

The morning started when Fletcher opened the bowling only to be hit for 3 boundaries in his first 6 balls however bowling at the Radcliffe Road end George Bacon faired better taking a wicket with his first ball in List A cricket. The bowling sides in this game were using different balls from each ends, a system that even the umpires had to be gently, discretely reminded of occasionally at the start of the day (by the bowlers). Bacon took the second wicket to fall also, to whoops of delight from a Bacon-contingent in the Fridge. Bangladesh slumped to 148/7 and in the main the batters were happier against the spin bowling of White and Wood than the bouncers of Bacon but on the arrival of Elias Sunny to join Ziaur Rahman a massive assault on the pace bowling proceeded, all bowlers proving to be expensive as Ziaur raced to 104*in 69 balls, his partner made 37* in a partnership worth 144. Bangladesh A 292/7 from the 50 overs.

A tall order for the inexperienced Outlaws XI became even more daunting as silly run outs and edges to the keeper reduced the hosts to 118/5; opener Matt Cross had made a well constructed 47, following on from his neat and tidy wicket keeping in the first innings of the day. With debutant Adam Tillcock and skipper for the day General at the crease, the required rate nearing 10 and then exceeding 10 runs per over, the tables were turned yet again, first Tillcock and then Franks turned on the power blasting boundaries that the Bangladesh bowlers had no response to. Franks was out just before the end for 59 ball 71, trying to keep Tillcock on strike to get his century and Tillcock made 97 from 70 balls as Brett Hutton hit the winning boundary. DDG