v Lancashire Lightning NW T20 Blast at Trent Bridge

All the Spills and Thrills return

Notts got off to a comfortable victory in the opening slap and tickle fixture. On the warmest night of the year a crowd of 10971 gathered.

From the Northants game,  Siddle, Adams and Jaques were replaced by Mullaney, Gurney and making his baseball debut Sam Wood.

With Sky in attendance the wicket was in the middle of the square. However the boundary ropes were brought considerably in so a run fest was guaranteed. The giant inflatable NatWest pig hanging from The Fridge was however never in danger of being hit.

Paul Horton won the toss and inserted Notts. The visitors chose not to select Ashwell Prince and were without Junaid Khan whose visa has still not arrived. Jimmy Anderson was the star turn in their line up and with his fifth ball and in the games second over Alex Hales (6) was caught at mid on as the ball went into orbit. Twenty/20 skipper Titch Taylor came in at three and played a fine cameo of 30 off 14 balls. This included three successive fours off Anderson, the Burnley native being bizarrely put out to grass for the rest of the night after two overs one for 17. Lumb hit Kabir Ali for six over deep square leg and then hit successive sixes off Jordan Clark’s medium pacers. The Cumbrian going for 18 in his sole over but he had the consolation with the last ball of The Powerplay of removing Taylor’s leg stump.

Lumb and Patel added 23 in three overs but Lumb missed a straight one from Steven Croft as he strolled down the pitch and departed for a 29-ball 39 including three sixes but zero fours. Man of the week Wessels came in and he once again deposited a six into Fox Road, 51 were added in six overs with Samit who was in fine form. Patel was hitting Wayne White coast to coast but he then chipped the ball high on the leg side, three fielders went for the ball. In the confusion no catch was taken but Anderson fired the ball in and Wessels was run out for 25 going for the second run at the non strikers end. The runs continued to flow, Kabir Ali as ever proved expensive going for 10.5 RPO. Patel hit Wayne White over long on and trying to repeat the shot next ball fell to fine catch by Croft, Samit gone for 56 off 41 with five fours and one six. Chris Read finished with 17 out as Notts closed on 182 for five. With the short boundaries it was difficult to ascertain how good a score this was.

Gurney and Shahzad opened up and Carter bowled over number 3. Tom Smith and Karl Brown got the Red Rose off to a reasonable start. With the score on 34 in the fifth, Taylor to everyone’s disbelief misjudged a routine catch that hit him on the chest, Hales picked up the ricochet and ran out Smith for 13. Mullaney and Patel not for the first time applied the brakes as Lancashire were falling behind the target. Brown (25) hoisted Mullaney to Wessels at long on. Enter danger man Jos Butler who played his trademark scoop shot of Mullaney straight up, then he nearly succeeded in decapitating the bowler. A straight six then followed. Lumb at long off however took a well judged running catch on his knees in front of the members as Buttler departed for an eight ball 18. Next over Croft (19) was bowled by man of the match Patel.

The end was nigh when Horton who is not best suited to this game skied a reverse sweep from Patel as Number One standing at point took the easiest of catches. Jordan Clark who hit six sixes in an over playing for Lancashire seconds last season kept the crowd entered as Mullaney’s last over went for 22. However he lost the strike, Kabir skied the ball and Hales took the catch as Gurney picked his first wicket. Carter bowling much more full and accurately in 2014 then removed Lilley as his stumps were demolished. Four balls later he repeated the trick as Clark departed for entertaining 40 off 20 balls with four fours and three sixes. With nine balls remaining Gurney bowled Anderson for a golden duck. Lancashire all out for 149 losing by 33 runs. Carter 4-0-23-2 and Patel 4-0-25-2 were the stars with the ball. This was an excellent professional performance from the Green and Gold who had out-batted and out-bowled their opponents who went into the game short of confidence and with a flimsy batting line up.

The crowd went home happy and they will back at the Trent Bridge drive thru next Friday for more fast food as The Rapids paddle up from Worcester.       MAG