Durham Jets NWT20 Blast at the Riverside, Chester le Street

OUTLAWS BANGED-TO RIGHTS

Notts were comprehensively beaten by 66 runs in the chilly north east last night. With Durham on 113 for six after 15 overs, the match was very much in the balance. However Durham got 65 runs in last five overs as Notts bowling became increasingly wayward under pressure.

After a trip up to County Durham in continuous dank and cool weather, on arrival to the Riverside we were greeted by unexpected sunshine. Dan Christian won the toss and put Durham in. Brendan Taylor and Jake Ball replaced Brett Hutton and Chris Read from the team defeated by Warwickshire 12 days before. Obviously knowing Notts' lack of mobility in the field Durham pushed the boundaries out so they could scamper plenty of two and threes. Their plans worked a treat.

Fletcher opened the bowling from the Finchale End and went for five. Wessels was behind the stumps. Gurney followed up with six off his over. Fletcher bowled over three. Ball replaced Gurney and removed Mustard (15) with his first ball caught behind by Wessels, 20 for one. Stoneman departed next over caught at point off the returning Gurney for 15, 32 for two. Durham were 46 for 2 after the power play.

Clark was out off Patel's third ball, leg before for 12. Richardson and Pringle added 30 in four overs then Pringle (22) was caught at cover off Patel, 77 for four. Richardson (28) lost  his off stump in Patel's third over. Brendan Taylor had replaced Wessels behind the stumps after 10 overs, so Wessels could patrol the boundary. Pringle was caught at cover by Dan Christian off Patel for 22. Next over Christian went for 15 including three consecutive fours by Michael Richardson. Three overs from the Lumley End had gone for 33 Sam Wood and Mullaney had each conceded ten Patel had bowled four overs on the bounce from Finchale End getting figures of three for 14. Mullaney replaced Christian.and went for a further ten runs. Fletcher replaced Patel and yorked Jennings for nine, 111 for six. Gurney bowled a shocking over for over 17 going for 15 in an over lasting ten balls, three wides and a no ball. He then bowled Coughlin for 18 with the first ball of the his next over but threw in another wide and a no ball and Collingwood cashed by hitting two huge sixes. The over went for another 18, as Gurney had completely lost his way. The last over bowled by Fletcher went for 12. Collingwood had finished on 44 not out off 22 balls and was later named man of the match. Patel had bowled excellently and Fletcher and done a reasonably job. The rest of the bowling was mediocre. The ground fielding was as to be expected, certain players appeared to running through treacle chasing the ball and there was three or four instances of players diving over the ball. Durham 178 for seven, probably 30 over par and the game as good as over.

Notts innings never got going as they hit a meagre six fours and one six over long on by Wessels. Lumb fell in the fourth over caught in the slips for eight, 16 for one. Sam Wood batting at three scored a run a ball 17 but holed out to Colingwood, 44 for two in the eighth. The game was already lost. Wessels against his favourite opposition did get to 38 being caught on the deep wicket ropes, 71 for three in the 11th over. The rest of the innings of the innings was a pathetic procession as Notts got to 112 all out with four balls unused. No Durham bowler went for more than 27 as they stuck to old virtue of line and length sadly missing from a lot of the Notts bowling. Despite Wayne Noon's prediction of eight overs spin, Durham did not bowl a single over of the slow stuff.

The crowd was poor probably no more than 2500. They were though much more engaged and understanding of the game than you would find at most Twenty/20 games. They were in the main true cricket fans rather than event attenders.

Notts are rumoured to be closing in on Andre Russell. His signing cannot come quick enough. The team at the moment are plainly not suited to white ball cricket. Hales, Taylor and Read are irreplaceable. Notts have now gone seven weeks without a win. Something is not quite right....MAG..................................................

In some sort of madness only the fixture makers would devise, both Nottinghamshire and Durham squads have to pack-up after their four day game at Trent Bridge to tramp up to Chester le Street for a Twenty-20 Blast game on Wednesday against each other. It defies logic.


As Wayne Noon put it; “It’s not an easy place to go, it’s the other end of the earth for a start, but the boys are up for it.”

As MAG predicted, Brendan Taylor makes the squad but could he keep wicket too? Riki Wessels proved more than adequate in the Championship game keeping but might Notts need his athleticism in the out-field for a Twenty-20 more? 

The announced squad is; Dan Christian (c), Jake Ball, Matt Carter, Luke Fletcher, Harry Gurney, Brett Hutton, Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Greg Smith, Brendan Taylor, Riki Wessels and Sam Wood.