v Glamorgan RLODC at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Outlaws never say die

Notts made it four away wins in a week as for the second day in succession when they came back from dead, as Steve Mullaney and Ajmal Shahzad added an unbroken 93 runs for the eighth wicket in 13 overs as Notts got home with nine balls unused against Glamorgan at the ground formerly known as Sophia Gardens.

On sunny cloudless day Notts won the toss and inserted Glamorgan, Shahzad came in for Jake Ball as the only change from the Somerset tie the previous day.

Gurney and Fletcher bowled accurately first up. Allenby (13) lasted until the last ball of the ninth over before edging Shahzad (bowling from the River End) to Wessels at first slip, 41 for one. Rudolph was monopolising the scoring although he survived a couple of Chinese cuts. Billy Bragg (13) lasted nine overs before being caught at mid off by Shahzad off James Franklin. Four overs Franklin bowling unchanged for eight overs from the Cathedral Road End bowled Notts nemesis Murray Goodwin for six, 99 for three. Cooke (5) mistimed a pull shot from Franklin as Wessels took the catch at mid-wicket, 115 for four. Mullaney was bowling a frugal spell and he was rewarded when Lloyd (3) edged behind, 122 for five and Glamorgan were well on the ropes. Rudolph was scoring 75% of the runs and got to his century in 130 balls to rich applause from the 2,000 crowd in sun drenched conditions. Next ball Shahzad yorked the South African who had scored 101 off 131 balls with ten fours, 161 for six.

A terrible mix up with Wagg saw skipper Wallace run out for 21 and then three overs later Wagg was caught in front of the Really Welsh Pavilion by Shahzad off Mullaney. There was some doubt as to whether Shahzad had touched the ropes but the batsman departed. Mullaney had bowled 10 overs two for 26; his night was far from finished.  Andrew Salter (35*) took a liking to Gurney and hit him for four successive fours as he added an unbroken 47 with Dean Cosker as Glamorgan closed on 227 for eight; a score that appeared well below par. Notts despite shoddy ground fielding had bowled well with former Glamorgan player James Franklin finishing with 8-0-32-3.

Notts though got off to a terrible start as Hogan was a real handful bowling six overs three for 13 from the Taff End. Hales edged his fourth ball to Rudolph to slip. Taylor faced 16 balls but like Hales never got off the mark, when a terrible swipe saw him caught behind by Wallace. It got worse as Patel was then bowled by one keeping low as he became the third duck of the innings, Notts 11 for three after seven overs. Lumb and Wessels added 37 in eight over before Lumb was out leg before for 26 off Lloyd’s dibbly dobblers. Notts were scoring at three an over. Franklin (11) was struggling to time the ball but lasted 24 balls until being adjudged by umpire Wharf to have edged the first ball from Salter until Wallace’s gloves; 78 for five in 24^th over. Wessels hit the first six of the game although the ball hit over mid-wicket only just cleared the boundary fielder. With Read the pair added 49 runs in nine overs, before Wessels was controversially run out as he was clearly impeded by bowler Cosker. Read blew a gasket waving his bat at the Glamorgan skipper as he refused to withdraw the appeal as Wessels stood by the square leg ropes waiting to be recalled. Wessels had batted extremely well to score 65 off 74 balls with five fours and one six.

The power play was taken but Read was out to quite superlative catch at mid off by Salter who was having the game of his life. The Haverford West spinner made a salmon like leap and took the ball one handed, Read gone for 21 and Notts were seemingly dead and buried on 137 for seven in the 36^th over. Shahzad joined the in-form Mullaney and initially progress was steady but Shahzad was then crucially dropped on the ropes by Chris Cooke when on 10. Gradually both batsmen became more confident as 68 were needed of the last 10 overs. Mullaney went into over drive as Wallace recalled Hogan. The lynchpin of the attack was hit for an enormous six and Mullaney followed it with another one. Shahzad always one to value his wicket was getting them in singles, 30 now needed off five. Home heads were dropping as Mullaney was batting aggressively. He finished the match with another huge six off Hogan as the minuscule away contingent celebrated. Mullaney finished unbeaten on 63 off 46 balls with four fours and those three sixes off Hogan. Shahzad provided wonderful support with 33 off 39 balls with three fours. Notts now have five points from three games in Pelican Group B. A memorable week for the Green and Gold with four victories on the road plus a dramatic tie at The Bridge. They had shown great fighting spirit to overcome obviously jadedness in the Welsh capital. They take a deserved break of four day before Sunday’s quarter final against Hampshire.MAG