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An unsatisfying end to an unsatisfactory T20 campaign 2015 for Nottingham Outlaws after all three games at Leicester, Worcester and Northampton were rained off.
Outlaws suffering the fate of finishing fifth in the North Group and elimination. The folly of not finding the correct formula before the competition started has resulted in a dismal failure.for the Notts management and playing staff.
Despite the confused approached in the earlier games, which players like Harry Gurney and Alex Hales are calling inconsistency, qualification would have been achieved had we just reversed one of those defeats.
The most disappointing of those defeats was arguably the home fiasco against Leicestershire, on so many tactical levels. Why the use of Patel and Mullaney's overs weren't utilised is beyond comprehension. All of the series of self-inflicted mishaps on the evening stem from that deviation from that tried and practiced method of bowling the middle overs. James Taylor, by the end of the campaign had got a grip of himself, but what swayed him to ignore Samit and Mull that night, only he knows. It was a bad error and effectively cost the club qualification for the quarter-finals (possibly).
As the players have put their hands up and admitted their "inconsistent" start and taken the blame, we'll just have to look forward to a new competition tomorrow. DDG
Preview 23/07
Notts Outlaws are certainly on a roll in the Twenty20 competition now. As they say, they have the momentum!
Friday night is crunch night; but the season's previous failings for Outlaws have left their legacy: with only the top four teams qualifying for the quarter-finals and Outlaws lying fifth with inferior net run rate to potential rivals Lancashire in fourth. However, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, currently third in the table, have now been dragged back into the mix after their one run defeat at Edgbaston, but they have one extra point over both Lancs and Notts.
It will all be played out to its satisfying or unsatisfactory conclusion:at: Wantage Road where Steelbacks play Durham Jets, New Road where Rapids conduct proceedings with Lightning and Grace Road where the Foxes are said to be "biting back" against Outlaws.
Outlaws must win and hope Lancashire don't win or Northants lose. If Northants draw and Notts have a comprehensive win it might be mathematically possible too - I'll leave that for the brothers to calculate.
One fly in the ointment might be the weather, either from abandonment or the vagaries of the Duck's-weather Lewis calculator with rain forecast for all three grounds on Friday afternoon/evening.
Will it be drama or a damp squib on Friday? One thing for certain; with the investment being put into this competition by Nottinghamshire, the huge public backing the team has received in terms of attendees at games, failing to get a quarter final berth will be deemed a huge failure for 2015. Failure to take a Q/F home tie is already a disappointment, considering it could could quite easily have been a sell out attendance (based on how attendances have risen over the last few games) at Trent Bridge, so a financial hit to the club as well. Home Q/Fs haven't gone too well in the past few seasons so perhaps an away tie, with "reduced pressure" is favourable or at least compensation!
Only today, official attendance figures confirm a 17% increase in combined attendances over the seven group games at Trent Bridge; 71,203. That's thanks to slick marketing but also no rain offs this year. A couple of times the brolly has had a day out to a T20 but on neither occasion has it served any purpose.
Crossing all fingers and toes, hopefully Outlaws can maintain their momentum, beat Leicestershire fair and square; and that Worcestershire are desperate to finish first in the table and beat Lancashire at New Road. Then Outlaws can roll that momentum on and on for 3 more games.
The South group is even more complex with as many as 6 teams vying for the last 3 qualifying positions behind Kent with two key matches this evening (Thursday).
Come on Notts, you can do it!
Squad news:
You would expect the same squad as in the last two away games, wouldn't you?
Watch this space!
Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell says Friday's T20 Blast North Group game at Leicestershire is so important for the cricket club.
ReplyDeleteThe Outlaws, who have been beaten in the T20 quarter-finals in the last four years, go into the game in fifth place.
Notts need to beat the Foxes and hope either Lancashire or Northants slip up in their final games on Friday.
"Friday night is a massive game for the club and the team," Newell told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"We want to win that match and put some pressure on other teams - and make them win their games."
T20 captain James Taylor and bowler Harry Gurney are set to face their former club, while batsman Greg Smith, who made the move across the East Midlands in the winter, may also feature.
Gurney took 23 wickets for the Foxes when they won the Twenty20 in 2011, while Taylor scored a century on his Championship debut for Leicestershire against Middlesex back in 2009.
"It's a special place for myself, Titch (James Taylor) and Greg (Smith)," said Gurney. "It's always nice to go back there, if slightly weird.
"After losing the fixture to them at home, from a Nottinghamshire perspective we do need to get down there and put one over on them.
"We will go to Grace Road and priority number one is to get the two points and if we don't do that, we won't qualify.
"We just need the points and then hope one or two results around the country go our way."
Nottinghamshire's game at Grace Road gets under way at 17:30 BST, as does Lancashire's trip to already-qualified Worcestershire, while Northants against Durham begins an hour later.
Foxes' squad Cosgrove (capt), Ali, Agathangelou, Burgess, Eckersley, Freckingham, Hill, McKay, Naik, Raine, Sayer, Shreck, Wells.
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