Worcestershire RLODC at New Road

OUTLAWS FROZEN OUT AT NEW ROAD

A poor bowling performance coupled with a bad toss to lose ensured Notts comfortably lost their opening Royal London encounter at freezing New Road today. Worcestershire getting home with five wickets and 12 balls to spare chasing a Vera Duckworth target of 168 runs off 22 overs.

Play got under way in bright sunshine, Notts being put in as Worcester won a crucial toss. Billy Root came in for his List A debut and Brendan Taylor made the line up for the first time in 2017. Brett Hutton and Greg Smith did not make the final eleven. 

Lumb and Hales made steady progress against Leach (Diglis) and Hastings (New Road). The wicket was pitched very much on the Cathedral side of square. In the eighth over Lumb hit a leg side six off Hastings, but off the third ball of the next over Hales was leg before Leach for 13 (22 balls, 2 x4), 37 for one. Wessels came in at three but before he could face a ball rain stopped play at 1139. 

Play resumed 11 minutes later. Ed Barnard replaced Hastings and his erratic bowling was reminiscent of the dross fed up by Sussex last week, Wessels tucked in racing to 18 off 25 balls with three fours. However he threw it away holing out to Whiteley on the deep square leg ropes and Barnard picked up an undeserved victim, 68 for 2. Lumb and Patel added 65 in 12 overs, Lumb got to 50 in 75 balls but he was mainly now dealing in singles. Patel looked in fine fettle dominating the scoring but on 44 he holed to Shantry at deep extra cover off Moeen Ali. His innings contained four fours and two sixes off 42 balls, 133 for three in the 28th over. Notts were now looking for acceleration but an out of touch Brendan Taylor slowed things down with a 24 ball ten before being stumped off Ali, 157 for 4 in the 34th over. There followed a promising innings from Root who hit 46 off 42 balls with three fours and one six, his running between the wickets particularly impressive. Root eventually fell to catch at extra cover off Leach. The two left handers had 84 in 12 overs. Lumb who got to his ton off 124 balls was out three balls later caught behind off Leach for 104 from 126 balls with three sixes and eight fours, 246 for six after 47 overs. Lumb had batted well although somewhat sedately and added another century to three List A tons he hit last June. Read (7 not out) and Broad (20 not out) scampered 27 off the last three overs as Notts finished on 273 for six. Captain Joe Leach the best bowler with three for 50.

Then the forecast showers arrived and play did not recommence for 2 hours 45 minutes Worcestershire now required 168 off 22 overs. After an expensive opening over from Gurney costing ten things got better. Ball who switched ends to the Diglis took two wickets in the fifth over. First Kohler-Cadmore was caught on the deep square leg ropes by Root for 13 then Ali (14) played a horrible pull shot which Fletcher caught at mid off, 29 for two in the fifth over. The light was deteriorating and Clarke played a fantastic cameo in the circumstances hitting 40 off 26 balls with six fours and one six over mid wicket off Patel. Fletcher though removed him via a catch at extra cover by Wessels, 85 for three in the 13th over. Big hitting Ross Whiteley made light work of the nine an over target by blasting 41 off 19 balls as Notts bowling wilted under pressure. D'Oliveria was bowled by Patel for 23. Cox and Whitley added 49 runs in 22 balls as Broad and Ball proved expensive by bowling too short and wide, instead of aiming at the stumps in the poor light. Gurney picked up a consolation wicket when Cox was caught on the ropes for 18 but Leach (10 not out) joined forces with Whiteley and Worcester cantered home in front of what was now a very sparse crowd. MAG

Outlaws Squad announced:

James Pattinson rests out of this one and Jake Libby isn't selected. Into the squad from the 2 day game against Sussex comes: Harry Gurney, Brett Hutton Brendan Taylor and Billy Root. 




Preview

One of the glaringly obvious follies of playing the One Day Cup at this early part of the "summer" is the weather, and it is the weather that could play a starring role on Thursday at New Road.

Nottinghamshire supporters will be wondering, what Peter Moores plans to do in this competition....

stick with the tried and tested old guard of Michael Lumb and Chris Read, to name two or use the competition to integrate new players into more prominent positions into the senior squad, Billy Root, Tom Moores and Ben Kitt to mention three.
will Stuart Broad be available?
will England CT squad players Alex Hales and Jake Ball play in the first few rounds?
will Brendan Taylor and Steven Mullaney play their parts?

With opponents on Saturday, Yorkshire, likely to feature Joe Root and Jonny feet-up Bairstow as well as in form Gary Ballance, all our senior attack would be handy then, so are Jake Ball and Stuart Broad unlikely to be chosen on Thursday?