v Yorkshire Vikings NWT20 Blast at Trent Bridge

Outlaws steal victory as Vikings implode

Notts pulled off an unlikely victory over Yorkshire in a low scoring affair in front of crowd of 8841 at a dull and dank Trent Bridge.

James Taylor won the toss and elected to bat. James Franklin made his Notts debut and replaced Sam Wood from the line up which played in the “eat as much as want buffet” games against Derby and Leicester.

Ryan Sidebottom bowled in the opening over from the Radcliffe Road End and after two dot balls, Jaques edged ball three to Bairstow behind the stumps. A further two dot balls followed until Wessels smashed ball six of the over through the covers for 4. Hales (12) hit Tim Bresnan for a huge six but next ball drove the ball back to Pontefract's finest and Bresnan took an instinctive caught and bowled, Notts 22 for two off four overs. Wessels (14) then fell to catch by Aaron Finch at extra cover off Rich Pyrah, Notts 26 for two in the fifth. Two successive fours by Patel off the last two balls of the Powerplay saw Notts on meagre 37 for 3 off the first six overs.

In tenth over Patel gave himself too much room against Rafiq’s off spin and was bowled for 20, 55 for 4. It was then time for some Jiminy Cricket as James Taylor and new boy James Franklin added 48 in six overs as Notts innings started to gain some impetus. Franklin who hit two fours and a six eventually holed out off Bresnan for a 23-ball 27. Read did not last long falling to Sid for 4. Four balls later Mullaney (1) was the next man out as Bresnan took his third catch of the innings. The bowler was 20 year old right arm seamer Ollie Robinson who was born far outside the Broad Acres in Margate and was a former pupil of Gower’s alma mater King’s School, Canterbury, Notts 117 for seven with 15 balls remaining. Number one hit Roger Daltrey for a huge six to ruin Sid’s figures but Ryan got his revenge next ball as Robinson took the catch in the deep. Next on the conveyor belt who also holed out for three. All the while at the other end Taylor was scampering to good effect and even find time to hit five fours and one six as he remained unbeaten on 52 off 38 balls. An innings which saw him named man of the match. Notts closed on 143 for nine, a score that looked 25 under par. Sidebottom finished with 4-0-24-3.

The light got worse during the break and the floodlights came on but mercifully the rain never came. Yorkshire got off to a rapid reply but big hitting Aaron Finch (10) fell to the tenth ball of the innings caught low down at short fine leg off the Bulwell Metronome.  Andrew Gale struggled to time the ball and in the sixth over sliced the ball to third man where Gurney took the catch off Shahzad whose opening two overs went for five runs. Patel and Mullaney came on after the completion of the powerplay and put a stranglehold on the scoring. In the ninth over Bairstow was caught on the ropes by Hales off Patel. Next over Lyth was smartly run out by Mullaney off his own bowling, the decision going upstairs to third umpire former Notts batsman Russell Evans. The Tykes 60 for four in the tenth. Alex Lees had struck four 4s in run a ball 37 before being caught in the ring by Taylor as Patel picked up his second wicket.  Patel finished with 4-0-19-2 and Mullaney 4-017-0. The end result Yorkshire needed 69 off the last six overs, but Franklin was less inspired with the ball than with the bat, one rusty over of left armers went for 14, next over Shahzad bowling from the Pavilion End went for 16 and Yorkshire now needed 39 off four with Bresnan and Rashid well set.

Taylor though had Fletcher and Gurney up his sleeve and they more than equal to the task as the White Rose imploded. Rashid (21) was bowled off the first ball of the 18^th over as Fletcher was consistently firing in his famed Yorkers. Next over Pyrah hit a full toss from Gurney to Franklin who took the catch in front of the William Clarke stand, the umpires had it confirmed of Evans the Younger that the ball was below waist height when the ball was hit. Two balls later Franklin took another catch as Gurney took his second wicket. Bresnan had scored 28 off 23 balls. The game was up but there was still time for Fletcher to bowl Robinson as Yorkshire closed on 121 for nine, as Notts triumphed by 22 runs. This was the best bowling performance by Notts in this year’s competition defending a substandard total; Yorkshire perhaps hampered slightly by the poor light should have made a better fist of it. The Bulwell Metronome finished with 4-0-21-3 and was well supported by Gurney 4-0-25-2.

Notts lie third two points behind Lancashire and Worcestershire; three wins from five are probably required now to guarantee a last eight berth, but four of these are away from Trent Bridge.

Notts busy spell continues with a 4-day game at Edgbaston tomorrow where Gary Keedy could debut. MAG