v Sussex Sharks RLODC at Horsham

Big Opening Partnership sets-up victory 

Notts winning run continued with a comfortable 29 run victory at Cricket Field Road, Horsham in their opening match the Royal London Cup.

On a humid cloudy morning, Sussex captain Ed Joyce inserted Notts who had Lumb and Gurney returning with Wood and Fletcher dropping out of the line up from the incredible win in Leeds. Sussex meanwhile were without Wright (injured) and Jordan (Test).

Due to the ridiculously early Sunday start of 1030 the crowd was only fair sized with the Nottingham contingent numbering no more than two dozen.  Hales and Lumb quite simply batted superbly as they added 139 in 29 overs. Magoffin playing a rare limited overs game although bowling well was seen off with relative comfort but the left armers Liddle and Hatchett bowled poorly offering too much width and bowling too short. Lumb in indifferent form during an injured ravaged 2014 outscored Hales. Leg spinner Will Beer coming on from the Church End eventually bowled Lumb who had charged down the pitch. Lumb out for 77 off 90 balls with eight fours and one six. A pleasing comeback to form. On a  pitch that gradually got slower and lower as the day went on, the huge opening partnership proved crucial. Hales got more aggressive after Lumb departed and against one of most of his favoured opponents reached his ton off 107 balls and received a good ovation from the Sussex crowd; he had earlier been dropped by Machan on the boundaries edge when on 88. Taylor (13), after his Leeds heroics became Beer’s second bowled victim, 187 for two in the 34 overs. The power play was taken; Piolet who was Sussex’s most economical bowler (10-0-35-2) had Patel caught in deep for eight. Man of the moment Wessels then ran himself out off his second ball falling to a direct hit by Beer. Notts were losing their momentum at 207 for 4 in the 39th.  Hales was then caught at long on; a Hatchett job off Piolet. Hales who should be in England’s 50 over line up had scored 116 off 115 balls with nine fours and three sixes, 234 for five. Next over Franklin (8) tamely played the ball back to Beer; the leg-spinner had picked up three wickets for 60 in his 10 over spell. Mullaney gave the innings much needed impetus and played a marvellous cameo with quick fire 40 off 20 balls with three sixes and three fours to peg Sussex back adding 54 in five overs with Read. He eventually fell to the undeserving Hatchett. Shahzad made nine and it was left to Ball to hit final ball of the innings for six as Notts closed on 312 for 8 from their 50 overs with Read left on 19 not out. An imposing total which should have been higher. Liddle had figures of 10-0-86-0; ouch!

The pitch though lacked pace and the feeling was that Mullaney and Patel were going to be the key men with the ball.

The sun was now blazing down as the locals were less than impressed with Wells' snail like contribution. Ed Joyce a shoe in for runs against Notts was batting more aggressively as 65 runs were added in 14 overs. Wells cut Franklin (Church End) where captain Titch took the catch at point to fall for a 44-ball 23; an innings which contained no boundaries.  Enter Craig Cachopa (22) the South African born Kiwi raised batsman with a Portuguese father who hit a free hit from Franklin for six over the pavilion. He looked neat and tidy before getting a thin edge to Mull where Read took the catch standing up, 99 for two. Half an hour later Notts got the key wicket of Yootha who had got to 59 before falling to a quite brilliant catch by Taylor who took the ball on the dive, the ball going over his shoulder, 129 for three; Patel the bowler. Horsham’s own Chris Nash (26)  then drove Mull bowling from the Church End straight to Franklin at extra cover, 140 for four and Sussex with a long tail were now in trouble. Ben Brown did not last long being caught at long on by Hales as Mull took his third wicket, 156 for fived in the 24^th. Machan added 55 in eight overs with Piolet but holed out for 43 caught by Patel off Mullaney. Another 55 were added by Piolet and Beer but with the scoring rate reaching insurmountable levels the game was long over. Beer (23) and Liddle (6) both were bowled by Jake Ball and Piolet who had an excellent game unbeaten on a 48-ball 63, Sussex closed on 283 for eight and lost by 29 runs. Mullaney after his brilliant cameo with the bat had lived up to his billing as being a key man with the ball with 9-1-33-4. The rest of the bowling was workmanlike rather than spectacular; crucially Notts fielding had been more impressive than Sussex. The Wurzels next up tomorrow at TB as Notts had little respite in a hectic set of fixtures. MAG