v Birmingham Bears NWT20 Blast at Edgbaston

Greg Smith drops, leaves then carries Outlaws to a home Q/F
Notts guaranteed themselves a home quarter final with a 6 wicket victory at Edgbaston last night.

 Although the home team only lost two wickets it was only off the last four overs of the innings they broke away from the shackles by scoring 56 runs to make a game of it. This was the Green and Gold seventh successive win in the competition (excluding no results) after losing their first two games.

Dan Christian once again won the toss and inserted The Bears; Jake Ball came in for Luke Fletcher from the team that beat The Tykes. Warwickshire openers Hain and captain Ian Bell got to a sluggish start. Only 11 runs came off the first three overs bowled by Patel, Ball and Gurney respectively. The fourth over bowled from the Pavilion End went for 12 as Hain hit a couple of boundaries, he did though survive a run out scare after Ball’s kick on the stumps did not quite beat the batsman’s desperate scamper. Christian resisted the temptation of bowling himself during the power play although at times it appeared that Read was calling the shots, the keeper deciding where exactly the fielders should stand.. Bears were being restricted to too many dot balls (for their liking) but Bell did hit both Gurney and Ball for sixes. Warwickshire 39 for one after six overs. Hain being out leg before for 19 in over six bowled by Ball. Patel and Mullaney then bowled in tandem and then Tahir came on for over 11. Warwickshire were still making sluggish progress getting to 71 for one after 11 overs. Mullaney’s last two overs went for 25 as he finished with four overs for 37. Patel meanwhile bowled four overs for 23.

Ian Bell got to his 50 in 42 balls with four sixes and no fours in over 16 bowled by Tahir. Warwickshire were 116 for one with four overs remaining. Over 17 bowled by Gurney (4-0-42-1) from City End was a bit of a horror show. Bell hit his first ball for four and then was badly dropped on the square leg boundary by Smith, on the run, off the next ball, Bell on 54 at the time; Porterfield and Bell got off that ball two which they repeated off the next ball. It got worse with Bell hitting a four through mid wicket which fielders Mullaney and Smith left to each other. Then a six was hit by former England man followed by a three, 21 off the over. The next over from Tahir (4-0-36-0) went for 15. Bell holed out in the next over with Mullaney getting the catch at mid on as Gurney got the wicket, Bell scoring 80 off 55 balls including three fours and five sixes. Bell and Porterfield had added 116 in 13 overs. Ball's last over went for 11 as The Bears closed on 172 for two, a competitive total. Porterfield 61 not out (44 balls) and Wade 7 not out. The short square boundaries on the Raglan Stand had been well exploited in the closing overs.

Only nine runs came off the first two overs of the Notts innings bowled by Clarke and Hannon-Dalby. Lumb hit Clarke for successive fours in over 3 and Wessels had a life being dropped off the bowling of Clarke by Bell at mid off when on seven. In the fifth over, Wessels hit Hannon-Dalby for three fours. Notts closed the power play on 49 for no wicket and well placed. There were a couple of setbacks for Notts in the ninth over bowled by Keith Barker as both openers were dismissed. Lumb was caught at extra cover for a 25 ball 34 including four fours and one six. The first wicket had added 74. Two balls later Wessels found Sam Hain at mid off to depart for 37 off 28 balls with also four boundaries and a six. Christian dealt solely in singles for the initial phase of his innings letting Smith take the initiative. Young 19 year old right arm seamer Aaron Thomason was hit for two fours by Smith in the eleventh over; his two overs for 25. Patel and Clarke slowed the run rate down as Notts stood on 112 for two off 14 overs, needed 61 runs off 10 overs. Christian edged a four off Hannon-Dalby who went for 10 in over 15. Then came the big over by Javid from the Pavilion End as Christian hit him for two sixes with a wide in between and then a four, but then next ball he got the Notts captain was leg before for a 28 ball 37 (2 x 4; 2 x 6), Christian has been consistent scorer throughout the zonal phase. Notts 141 for three with four overs left.

Patel then wafted at thin air off the first ball of the next over bowled by Barker (4-0-34-3), and then he skied the next ball and the bowler took the catch running towards mid on. Samit gone for a single. The batsman crossed and another dot ball was bowled but luckily Warwickshire were penalised for not having enough men in the circle. Smith missed the free hit and then another dot ball followed. Were Notts bottling it? Smith then relieved the pressure by hitting g Barker for a six over short square leg boundary, Smith then got a single and Notts now only needed 22 from the last three overs. Notts got their comfortably with five balls unused as the large crowd drifted away disappointed. Smith got a ramp shot four. The normally reliable Clarke bowled two poor balls that man of the match Smith hit for four and a six. It was left to Brendan Taylor to get the winning single off Hannon-Dalby through the covers. Greg Smith for the first time in Outlaws colours had played a match winning innings seeing Notts over the line with 52 not out off 31 balls with five fours and two sixes. MAG

Each day of the Somerset match this week, Greg Smith was seen returning from the indoor nets with Peter Moores - the work paid off last night. Well done gentlemen.