V Durham RLODC at Riverside, Chester le Street

HEARTBREAK AT THE RIVERSIDE

Outlaws lose by the narrowest of margins

Notts lost in heart-breaking fashion to Durham at the Riverside last night. Needing nine off the last two balls with only two wickets standing. Keaton Jennings hit Gurney for six over mid wicket and followed it up with a four through extra cover. Hard luck on Gurney who had earlier taken five wickets and Michael Lumb who got another century. There were great whoops of delight from the sparse home crowd, Notts will be kicking themselves for not closing out the game.

Play started 10 minutes late due to the lightest of showers. Christian won the toss and elected to bat, a strange decision since showers were forecast. In the end it wasnt just the vagaries of Duckworth Lewis system that aided the home team batting second but poor unpiring early doors the players being dragged off three times in the lightest of rain. This did not help the early momentum of the Notts innings. Notts were unchanged from Blackpool. Once again the ropes we're pushed to the outer limits to the home sides undoubted advantage.

Notts got off to a sedate start against Rushworth (Lumley) and Arshad (Finchale). In the ninth over Wessels was bowled off stump by Rushworth for 10, 37 for one after 8.3 overs. Two balls later the players left the field as another light shower came over. Forty three minutes later play recommenced at 1530, the game was now a 46 overs match. Fifteen mintes later the players trooped off again after another light shower came over. Notts 59 for one after 12.1 overs. Umpires Saggers and Pollard clearly not wanting to get their coats wet. Play got under way again at 1605, the contest was now a 43 over affair. Three balls later off they went again, 61 for one off 12.4 overs. Another 12 minutes passed and battle commenced once more with another over knocked off. Lumb got to his 50 off 58 balls in the 20th over, Notts 97 for one.

The 150 came up in the 27th over. Greg Smith was bowled in the next over by Arshad bowling from the Finchale End. Smith's 46 came off 59 balls with six fours. The second wicket had added 118 runs in 19 overs. Lumb was playing well once more and got to his third successive List A ton in the 31st over with a single off Coughlin. His century came off 95 balls. Coughlin got his revenge in the next over bowling Lumb for 105, 186 for three. The innings contained 12 fours off 105 balls. Christian in partnership with Patel added 63 in nine overs. Patel was brilliantly caught by Stomeman at extra cover off Rushworth for a 25 ball 40 which included two fours and one six. Notts got 43 off the last three overs of the innings to provide badly needed impetus to the innings Dan Christian was run out off the last ball of the innings. He had once again put bat to ball in a highly effective manner racing to 57 off 43 balls with three fours and two sixes. He was dropped on 36 off Borthwick by Coughlin. Notts 274 for five off 42 overs innings closed.

Vera Duckworth added a run to Durham's target but had been kind to the home side. They got off to a brisk start getting to 32 without loss off 26 balls when the rain returned once more at 1902. Fletcher in particular proved easy pickings on the slow pitch with his two overs going for 19. A resumption was made 25 minutes later with Durham's target now 252 off 37 overs. Three legimate balls later, Gurney had bowled a wide, Mark Stoneman was bowled middle stump by the left armer for 25, 38 for one. In his next over Gurney had Borthwick caught at first slip by Mullaney for a single, 42 for two. Gurney then proceeded to a bowl a bouncer to new batsman List A debutant Jack Burnham which went for four byes over Wessels head, umpire Saggers singled a no ball. Burnham was then dropped at second slip by Mullaney diving to his right whilst yet to get off the mark, Fletcher the unlucky bowler. The error was not costly as Burnham fell in the next over caught behind by Wessels for one, Gurney picking up his third wicket, 54 for three in the ninth over.

Mustard and Collingwood added 75 runs in 11 overs as Durham were getting on top. Notts fielding at this stage looking slightly ragged. Samit Patel replaced Christian (3-0-18-0) from the Finchale End and had Mustard leg before for a 52 ball 47.

Sixty nine runs were added in 10 overs between Collingwood and Michael Richardson. Collingwood was then caught at wide long off by Taylor above his head off Patel. He had made 69 off 65 balls with seven fours. The old campaigner had been a thorn in Notts side once more. Patel (8-0-51-2) and Mullaney bowled good spells to restrict the scoring and keep Notts in the game. Mullaney after six overs for 35 was replaced by Gurney from the Lumley End and he bowled Coughlin for 11. Durham now needed 22 off 16 balls. Ball then bowled Pringle for two, 237 for seven. Durham needed 12 off the last over. The first three balls went for singles and then Richardson holed out to Christian on the deep mid wicket boundary. Richardson out for 64 off 58 balls but crucially the batsman had crossed which gave Jennings the strike, and then cue the dramatic finale. Gurney finished with figures of five for 51, but to no avail. Both Fletcher and Ball will be disappointed with their bowling efforts, the later still struggling to find his early season form. Notts now head to Leeds on Friday for a baseball game where Andre Russell will debut. This defeat was hard to stomach. MAG