v Essex Eagles RLODC at Chelmsford

Samit Patel leads the way to victory

with a little help from James Taylor

An unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 215 between James Taylor and Samit Patel saw Notts to victory today with eight balls to spare at red hot Chelmsford. 

Notts won the toss and elected to field. In came debutant Imran Tahir and Brett Hutton and out went Fletcher and Christian. Essex got off to a steady but circumspect start as Pettini and Westley added 80 in 16 overs. Gurney and Hutton opened the bowling. 

Imran Tahir started with a full toss from the River End which was dispatched for four and was replaced by Patel. Samit Patel removed Westley leg before for 38. Forty runs later Pettini became Tahir's first Notts victim. The leg spinner had switched ends to Hays Close End and bowled Pettini for a 77 ball 61. The leg spinner sure knows how to celebrate a wicket running yards and bawling at the top of his voice. Four overs later Tahir got his second victim bowling lynch pin Bopara for 28, 137 for three. 

Jesse Ryder was given two lives on 13 and 29 at mid on both off Mullaney and both chances missed by Brendan Taylor. The first one Taylor completely misjudged it and did not get his hands to it, he was not helped by looking directly into the sun. The second one was far worse and should have been caught with ease. Ten Doeschate and Ryder added 61 in 13 overs before the former was caught by Wessels on the ropes for 25 as Mullaney picked up the wicket. In his next over Mull removed James Foster leg before for two, 206 for 5.

Napier slogged his way to 27 before falling to catch by Wessels off Ball, 247 for 6. The batsman crossed but Browne was dismissed first ball; bowled by Jake Ball, 250 for seven. 

Veleni was run out backing too far off the last over of the innings bowled by Gurney as Ryder finished unbeaten on 81 off 66 balls an innings which included seven fours and two sixes. Essex 268 for 8 off 50 overs. Tahir's debut figures were 10 overs 2 for 45. Gurney was the most expensive bowler his 10 overs costing 69. With small straight boundaries and fast outfield the total looked very chase-able.

Wessels and Hales added 42 in 10 overs before Wessels skied Masters to short third man for 21, 42 for one. Worse followed when Hales played on to Napier for 28, 55 for two. Brendan Taylor's nightmare day continued when he edged his first ball from Masters into Foster's gloves, 55 for three. 

Ten Doeschate elected to bowl Masters through from the Hays Close End his final figures were 10 1 28 2. But it left Essex with a problem as their support bowling was proving food and drink to James Taylor and Samit Patel who made relatively untroubled progress against the mediocre support bowling. The partnership grew and grew as the sun beat down. The full house was silent as the runs piled up and slowly the rats deserted the sinking ship as more and more of the partisan crowd drifted away. The fourth wicket partnership was the highest for Notts in List A cricket beating the unbroken 205 added by Rags and Bonk at Torquay against Devon in 1988. Patel finished with a superb and composed 124 off 112 balls with 13 fours and one six. James Taylor whose season has turned since Old Trafford was left six short of ton. His 94 also off 112 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Notts 271 for three off 48.4 overs. Notts are now top of Group B with seven points after four games. The last month has seen a great upturn in form, long may it continue. Next up Scouseland on Tuesday. MAG