Birmingham Bears NWT20 Blast at Edgbaston

BEARS CLAW LAST BALL WIN AFTER SHOCKING HEAD INJURY TO LUKE FLETCHER CAUSES DELAY

Warwickshire won a dramatic game off the last ball as Michael Lumb failed to collect the ball from a throw from Steven Mullaney as he broke the stumps without ball in hand. However the game was completely marred by a serious head injury to Luke Fletcher who was hit on the head in his follow through; causing the game to be held up for 35 minutes in order for the players to regain their composure. Fletcher managed to leave the pitch still conscious but was taken to hospital for a scan.

Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bowl on a warm but mainly cloudy night. Notts resisted the urge to bring in Billy Root and were unchanged from the previous night’s game in Leeds. Rikki Clarke bowled the first over from the City End and conceded 16 as Lumb hit him for two fours and a six..Lumb (16) though fell to the first ball he faced from Jeetan Patel caught at short mid wicket by Porterfield, 17 for one. The experienced spinner had conceded a solitary single in over two. Clarke's second over went for three singles. Wessels then hit Jeetan Patel over long on for six. But in the same over Hales (3) was dismissed in identikit fashion to Leeds holing out to deep mid wicket, 28 for two. The batsman crossed and Wessels (9) departed the same way caught by Sam Hain at deep mid wicket. Notts 28 for three after four overs. Notts completed the powerplay on 39 for three, Rankin having replaced The Kiwi from the Pavilion End. Christian and Patel were mainly dealing in singles as Notts stood on 54 for three after nine overs. Patel hit Javid for three fours in over ten, the over costing 15. The 50 partnership for the fourth wicket came up in seven overs. Jeetan Patel returned and with his second ball Christian was caught and bowled for a 27-ball 20, 79 for four. Notts continued to struggle on 98 for four after 14 overs, the batsmen were not in the main timing the ball on the sluggish pitch. Elliott bowled over 15 which went for 11. Jeetan Patel's last over cost 10 runs but finished his spell with a match winning 4 for 22. Samit Patel then hit de Grandhomme for a six over mid wicket. The 50 partnership between Patel and Mullaney came up in 32 balls; as Mullaney hit de Grandhomme for a leg side six. Notts 137 for four off 17 overs. Samit Patel got to his 50 off 30 balls with a four through mid wicket off Hannon-Dalby. Patel fell in the same over caught at deep square leg by Grant Elliott. A good innings had ended 55 off 33 balls (7 x 4; 1 x 6). The fifth wicket had added 68 in 6.3 overs. Rankin (3-0-23-2) bowled the penultimate over which went for just three singles. Mullaney fell in similar fashion to Samit Patel having hit 46 off 33 balls (4 x 4; 1 x 6). Notts innings closed on 158 for six with Moores on six and Wood on one. A recovery of sorts from 28 for three but still probably 12 to 15 runs below par.

The first over the Bears innings was bowled from the City End by Luke Wood and went for five including a wide. Hain and Bell took boundaries off the second over bowled by Gurney which went for 10. Wood's second over contained three boundaries, 30 for 0 off three overs.

 Luke Fletcher's first ball was driven back fiercely by Hain and hit Fletcher on the head in his follow through the big man being helped off the pitch by Jamie Pipe who had raced on to the pitch following the sickening blow. There was a stoppage of 35 minutes following this extremely unfortunate incident as there were discussions between the teams and umpires to decide whether the game continued. 

On resuptionDan Christian completing the over. Gurney returned and Hain (17) mistimed to mid wicket where Christian took the catch. Bears 40 for one after 5 overs. Twelve came off the next over bowled by Christian. Samit Patel came on and went for four. Sodhi then bowled from the Pavilion End with a slip in place but the over went for 10 including a no ball. At half way house Warwick were 76 for one. Will Porterfield charged down the pitch off Patel but there was never a run and he run out for 20, 85 for two. Two overs from Sodhi cost 14 and he was replaced by Mullaney. Ian Bell (47) went for a switch hit off Patel but perished as Lumb took the catch, 96 for three. Pate bowled well once more with his four overs costing just 23. Sodhi though continued to be disappointing as he came back to concede 12 off his over. 119 for three off 15 overs. With Bell now gone the scoring rate was increasing; Mullaney (3-0-32-0) conceding 14 in over 16. Seven runs came off the next over bowled by Gurney as Bears now needed 19 runs off the last three overs. Sodhi bowled his best over next up going for only five as Elliott was bowled for 38 off 22 balls. Gurney (4-0-29-1) conceded nine off his last over leaving five required off the last over. Christian bowled the last over which went dot 121 dot. And with a single needed off the last ball, the fielders came with Lumb positioned at short mid on close to the stumps to collect any Notts throw. Clarke got the winning single but only because Lumb fumbled the throw and broke the stumps without the ball in his hand as Mullaney threw from mid off; a calamitous error. Warwickshire had won the game by six wickets. But the result was completely secondary to Fletch’s injury. Let's hope that The Bomber makes a complete recovery from the horrendous blow. Credit the Warwick crowd of 9,000 who gave Fletcher an ovation as he came off. Notts now have a 13 day break until their next fixture. MAG

Ian Bell said the victory was of little immediate importance to his team.

"The win isn't really important. We hope Luke Fletcher is alright," he said.

"You don't want to see things like that. I suppoe the result isn't the biggest thing.

"It's just a game when you see things like that."

Read more at http://www.nottinghampost.com/luke-fletcher-has-a-concussion-but-notts-hope-he-will-be-allowed-to-leave-hospital-soon/story-30430981-detail/story.html#VpOHJfWeRuIzgR3j.99
BALANCE

Not Gary but Outlaws'....

Do you go with 5 bowlers plus 2 back-ups or do you rely on your players to execute their skills to a set plan successfully?

A fair comment is that if you're depending on a seventh specialist batsman, then realistically in most scenarios you're losing anyway.

Outlaws weren't in the hunt yesterday once Hales was out so the inclusion of another batsman wouldn't have helped much but neither did having an extra bowling option with all but Patel suffering under the Tyke barrage. So what is the answer?

Hope your eleven do their job better than the opposing eleven do their job and that your players have the better skills...... probably.



HALES OR BUST 

Bears Grills

Out the frying pan and into the fire with tonight Outlaws travelling to their ultimate destination on their road to Edgbaston on Finals day, for the second group game of 2017 against the Bears in Birmingham.

Will Peter Moores change the team balance, boosting the batting at the expense of the extra seamer?

I'd expect the same pre-eleven squad to be announced but hopefully Billy Root will play in Woody's place.

Michael Lumb, again, is initiating questions about his worthiness for selection; 95 against a weak Steelbacks eleven at Grantham isn't enough, especially as a full strength Steelbacks were made light work of by perennial wooden spoon challengers, Derbyshire, last night. Are the best days behind Showders or has he got some more career defining moments in the tank? 

Another defeat might see new blood injected, with Connor Marshall and Liam Patterson-White, both making blips on the radar of late but they must be outside the existing plan so you'd expect Brett Hutton, Luke Wood, Greg Smith and Matt Carter to be given the opportunity to excel or fail first. 

One defeat, no matter how bad, shouldn't start the alarm bells ringing just yet, but certain individuals do need to start turning up, it can't be just Hales or bust!