v Worcestershire Rapids NWT20 Blast at Trent Bridge

Outlaws paddle the wrong way against the Rapids

On a dank night Worcestershire Rapids beat Notts Not So Rapids by a convincing 24 runs in front of crowd of 6987.

James Taylor won the toss and inserted the opposition, preferring to chase with a Vera Duckworth threat for later in the evening. Despite a few rain droplets during the Worcestershire innings the threatened rain never arrived.

Fletcher replaced England’s new kid on the block Harry Gurney in the only change from Lancashire game, the match being played on the same wicket.

Moeen Ali hit the out of shape Fletch for two fours off the first two balls of the match. Off the last ball of ball of the over, Shropshire’s Richard Oliver played on for four, 13 for one. Off the fourth over of the evening, Mitchell edged Carter to Read to depart for 6, 35 for two. Ali had reached 28 off 20 balls when an attempted pull shot off Carter ballooned to Wessels in the covers, 45 for three. Then the game’s crucial over as South African born New Zealand international Colin Munro deposited Pate’s first, second and sixth ball for sixes, the last one being almost caught by Wessels but in trying to take the catch the ball went over the ropes. The over cost 20, Patel’s only one of the night, and Notts never really recovered their momentum from this point.

Munro and Kervezee added 45 in just five overs, before Sam Wood picked his first baseball scalp as Munro (31) top edged a reverse sweep with Carter taking a wide judged diving catch behind the wicket.

Kervezee who scored an impressive ton in a championship game at TB in 2011 added 62 with former Sheep Ross Whiteley. Notts though came back into it a little at the tail end of the innings as the Lincolnshire Poacher Andy Carter bowled four dot balls on the bounce. Shahzad then got two wickets in two balls removing Kervezee for a man of the match 43 caught by Wessels and then with the batsman crossing Whiteley was bowled for 34 by Number One. Worcestershire closed on 163 for eight, a par score for the pitch. Carter (4-0-21-2) and Wood (3-0-22-1) being the pick of the bowlers.

The visitors did have an ace up their sleeve with Saeed Ajmal. Worcestershire opened with Ali’s off spin and Notts were immediately bogged down with Shantry supporting him with his quirky not so fast left armers. The ball was not coming on the bat although Hales did hit a free hit from Russell into The Fridge. Lumb after a single off four balls dollied a catch do Dolly junior junior as Notts were 24 for one, Shantry picking up the wicket.

A silly mix up between Hales and Taylor saw the captain needlessly run out for 12 as bowler Shantry threw down the stumps. Patel joined Hales but having crawled to 71 off 10 overs, Hales was adjudged leg before to Ali to depart for 39 off 34 balls. The visitors bowled 12 overs of spin and Notts were struggling to time the ball with it’s lack of pace. There were far too many dot balls during this mid innings period. Wessels added 29 with Patel but the stand took up five overs. Wessels found Whiteley at long off to depart for 18. Everything rested on Patel, Read not really noted for attacking spinners did not last long being caught in front of the Fox Road stand as Ajmal picked up his first wicket. Three balls later Mullaney fell for a second ball duck being caught at deep mid wicket. Wood was bowled second ball electing not to play a shot off Russell. In the 18^th over with the game as good as gone, Patel sliced Ajmal to be caught at short third man for 41 made off 37 balls. Notts eventually reached 139 for nine to lose by 24 runs. Not the first time Notts had been strangled by spinners with their 12 overs costing just 74 runs for four wickets. They lost wickets at crucial stages and never got a real partnership going as only two overs went for more than ten runs. A bad night at the office on a soulless cool and dank Friday night. MAG