Durham RLODC at Trent Bridge

OUTLAWS WASTE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEAL VICTORY

AS COLLY STEELS THE LIMELIGHT

A fine all round performance by Paul Collingwood was pivotal as Durham triumphed by four wickets with five balls to space in this crucial fixture at Trent Bridge last night. Notts now need to win their last two games and hope results from other fixtures go their way. Notts played the price for too many batsmen throwing their wickets away and then latterly not taking crucial chances in the field. Fine margins decide key fixtures.

Durham won the toss and inserted Notts. Hales and Ball came in for Taylor and Fletcher. Off the fifth ball of the first over Lumb (1) was well caught low down to his left by James Weighell at point off the bowling of Rushworth, two for one. Having hit three fours in the fifth over a poor shot from Wessels saw him caught at first slip by Collingwood off Rushworth for 13, 20 for two. The wicket though was playing well and Hales and Patel added 65 in 11 overs. The Weighell of Fortune favoured Hales when he was dropped at backward point on 27; Rushworth the unlucky bowler. To rub salt in the wounds Alex Hales then hit Weighell over long on for an enormous six. In his next over Weighell had Patel caught on the point boundary. Patel out in his benefit match for 28 (33 balls, 2 x 4). 

Hales on 36 then had a lucky escape when he edged Weighell just short and wide of Poynter's gloves. Another poor shot saw Mullaney depart for nine caught at extra cover by Jennings off Weighell, 103 for four off 20 overs. Hales pushed on, hitting the ball hard and long. One straight six ended up in Chez Bracegirdle, high up in Radcliffe Road complex and another over deep mid wicket ended up well over the ropes. Hales was then dropped on 93 low down at long on by Weighell, Rushworth the unlucky bowler once more. He reached his ton off 101 balls but then departed shortly afterwards sking the ball to Pringle at square leg, Weighell the bowler; the youngster seemingly always in the action. Hales had made 104 off 103 balls with eight fours and three sixes; an innings of brute force coupled with a fair amount of good fortune. Hales and Root had added 84 in 17 overs.

 Read joined Root and the captain was in fine form with a huge six into The Fridge being the highlight. The partnership realised 101 runs in 12 overs before a late collapse saw Notts 297 all out with one ball unused. Read skied to point where Collingwood took the catch, he scored 61 off 38 balls with seven fours and two sixes; his best limited overs innings in recent times. The batsman crossed and next ball Root was out in identical fashion he scored 66 off 86 balls with six fours. Coughlin had taken two wickets in two balls. Root had struggled somewhat against the short ball. The wily Collingwood had sussed this out and bowled his 10 overs for just 40 runs. But Root deserved great praise as he toughed it out and his was a chance-less innings. Credit for Peter Moores for giving him a chance which in the previous regime was unlikely to have been granted. Next over Mark Wood also picked up wickets with successive balls. Pattinson (4) and Broad (0) both falling to catches on deep mid wicket ropes. There was still time for Ball to be bowled off the pads. Notts had lost five wickets for nine runs in 10 balls; a batting collapse which had repercussions given Collingwood’s later heroics. Not for the first time in 2017 too many Notts batsman had thrown their wickets away, the score looked around 25 runs under par.

Jake Ball opened up from the Pavilion End and Clark struck a four and then single. Jennings was then dismissed on the fifth ball for a golden duck being turned round as a result of Ball's pace the edge flew to Patel at backward point. Ball really had his tail up and next over Richardson (1) edged him to Wessels who took the catch low down at slip, eight for two. Steel was dropped on 2 at slip by Mullaney off Gurney low to his left; he was then later very badly dropped by Hales on the square leg ropes on 42, another game turner, Mullaney the unlucky bowler. Ball retired to the outfield having bowled 6-0-20-2; an outstanding spell he sadly did not repeat in the later stages.

Despite a lot of playing and missing and shots in the air just evading fielders the inexperienced pair Clark and Steel added 160 runs off 32 overs. Durham were 96 for two off 26 overs, needing 8.42 RPO. Chris Read though was guilty of not turning the screw; he over bowled Patel and Mullaney who went for 76 runs in 11 overs; and the pressure on the two youngsters slowly evaporated. Gurney not at his best bowling under pressure in the later overs of an innings should have returned; another lost opportunity. Graham Clark the more fluid of the two finally departed leg before to the fired up Pattinson for 92 (94 balls; 12 x 4). In the next over Cameron Steel (77 – 109 balls 9 x 4) holed out to the returning Gurney; Lady Luck had been a constant companion for the former Middlesex player, as Pattinson taking a fine catch at wide mid on off Gurney’s bowling, 172 for four in the 36th over. Durham needed 93 off 10 overs. In the 41st over Notts seemed slight favourites when Pringle (13) edged Broad to Read; 206 for five. Collingwood was playing extremely well, if Hales was an innings of great strength this was an innings of experienced pro against a testing attack. 

Coughlin scored 22 in 14 balls before being bowled by Broad for 22. Durham needed 50 off five overs and then 32 off three overs but Broad (10-0-54-2) and Pattinson (10-0-49-1) had now been bowled out. Read had a choice of electing either Ball or Gurney to bowl two of the last three overs, Gurney surprisingly was the choice. Memories of the reverse game at the Riverside last year came flooding back when Gurney conceded 10 runs in the last two balls, as Keaton Jennings gave Durham a victory from the jaws of defeat. Harry fluffed his lines here throwing up a wide and then feeding Collingwood down his favoured leg side; not his best over as went for 15. The game was now as good as over as Fletcher’s death bowling was sadly missed. Fittingly Collingwood hit the winning four. It was no Brigadier Block stuff as he finished with 73 not out (47 balls; 8 x 4; 1 x 6) coupled with earlier economical bowling efforts; he was clearly player of an exhilarating game. Poynter supporting him well 16 not out off nine balls. Notts had lost a critical game; having dominated until the final 40 minutes. Despite offering students reduced admission Samit’s benefit game was not well attended. The idea of a floodlight game so early on the year is another of ECB’s mad cap ideas, but as we know they kow tow to everything that Murdoch TV tells them to do... MAG

Outlaws have announced a 12 man squad, in the absence of Luke Fletcher. To what extent Fletch has been injured hasn't been released. The squad sees the return of the England pair Ball and Hales.


Billy Root,

Michael Lumb,

Samit Patel,

Alex Hales,

Brendan Taylor,

Riki Wessels,

Steven Mullaney,

Chris Read,

James Pattinson,

Stuart Broad,

Jake Ball,

Harry Gurney