v Derbyshire Falcons NWT20 Blast at Trent Bridge

Riki Wessels sets-up another easy Outlaw win

A crowd of 9383 witnessed a comfortable Notts victory against Derbyshire on a red hot evening.

Wayne Madsen won the toss and inserted Notts who was unchanged from the previous night. Phil Jaques (11) played on to Footitt in the games third over. Man of the moment Riki Wessels strode to the crease at three and 52 runs were added in 27 balls for the second wicket Hales hit Chesney Hughes for a massive six into the Pavilion Executive Suite but in trying to repeat the shot holed out to deep extra cover as Palladino took the catch, Hales gone for 23. Patel (7) went for the same shot and Palladino had another catch this time off Marcus North, 93 for three in the eleventh. Wessels was in quite magnificent form and edging nearer to the elusive first Notts baseball ton. One over from Footitt cost 23 runs including two massive sixes but off the last ball of the over James Taylor was caught at deep cover for a 21-ball 29, 175 for four off 18 overs with Wessels 94 not out.

Read hit a two off the first ball of the nineteenth over and then was bowled by Mark Turner. Mullaney in a reprise of the last over of the Durham game swung and missed at his first two legitimate balls, Turner also bowled a wide. Mullaney made amends by hitting a massive six into The Fridge and then got a four, a single followed so he kept the strike going into the last over.

Wessels finally got the strikers end with four balls remaining but with a six required for his ton he just ran a single as Mullaney ended the innings with a 6, 4 and then 6 as Notts closed on a mammoth 206 for five. Mullaney had hit 24 in nine balls but Player of the Match Wessels had scored 95 not out off 51 balls with 10 fours and four sixes. It was one short of club record Michal Lumb’s 96 up at the Riverside on a sunny Saturday last season. Footitt’s three overs had gone for 50 as Derbyshire used seven bowlers, although former Notts man Scott Elstone did not turn his arm over.

Like at Grace Road the previous night, the result was now a foregone conclusion. Stephen Moore was run out in the third over following a mix up with Chesney Hughes. With one ball of the power play remaining Chesney lost his middle stump to Fletcher bowling from the Pavilion End. Danger man Marcus North was then caught on the ropes off Patel for six, 57 for three in the ninth. Captain Madsen joined former Red Rose Gareth Cross and 103 runs were added in nine overs, but the game was long since over as a contest. Taylor held a low catch off Fletcher as Cross was out for a 38-ball 54. Madsen followed on the next over caught by Phil Jaques off the ever frugal Gurney for a 36-ball 65.

Derbyshire required 33 off the last over bowled by Shahzad but only scored five as Patel ran out Alex Hughes and Palladino who was then bowled off the last ball of the match. Derbyshire 179 for seven innings closed, Gurney (4-0-23-1) and Fletcher (4-0-29-2) were the star performers with the ball. The crowd went home happy but perhaps with their ears ringing from the non-stop full blast banal music. Please turn it down!

Wessels has completed a memorable week receiving his cap, scoring two seventies against Middlesex and then two wonderful knocks against Leicester and Derby, moving up the order has worked a treat, Notts now stand fourth in the Northern Section probably needing another four wins in seven games. Derby and Leicester proved to be exceeding poor outfits so it is difficult to assess exactly the chances of Notts finishing in the top four.

The side though will now undergo a dramatic change, James Franklin will be in situ for New Road next Friday and will undoubtedly strengthen the line up as he is experienced Twenty 20 all rounder. Andy Carter it appears has serious back problems once more, making it doubtful that he will play again this season. Phil Jaques returns to Oz following the Edgbaston championship game. Michael Lumb is out for a month. The big news of the day was that Peter Siddle has been ordered home following the game at Aigburth in mid July. Australia go to the Gulf to play Pakistan in October and want him to have a long rest as both Harris and Pattinson have injury clouds over them. Mick Newell has a lot of head scratching to do to ponder over a possible replacement. Luckily there is a month between Aigburth and the next championship fixture at Wantage Road in mid August. The DofC has already said that Frankin is likely to feature in the opening 50 over fixtures at the end of July. Interesting times then on and off the pitch. The Cidermen are next up in a four day contest tomorrow. MAG