Notts hammered at Headingley
Notts took their second hammering from Yorkshire this season as the Tykes got their record Twenty/20 score in front of 10037. The team was unbalanced lacking an extra batsman as Notts opted for an extra bowling option. The bowling effort apart from Patel was poor on a wicket on the Western Terrace side of the square. With the customary short straight boundaries a high scoring match was guaranteed.
Tim Bresnan won the toss and elected to bat on a cloudy night. Wood opened from the Kirkstall Lane End and conceded 15 including a six and two fours by Adam Lyth. Gurney opened up from the Football Stand End and with his fifth ball Kohler-Cadmore (5) skied in the air and Moores, running back, took the catch comfortably, 21 for 1. Fletcher came on for over three which went for 12. Gurney conceded eight off over four, 42 for one with man of the match Adam Lyth dominating the run scoring. Captain Dan Christian bowled the last over of the powerplay but he kept up his form from 2016 in this competition by leaking 16 runs.; stick to batting Dan. No one could restrict the scoring as Fletcher returned and went for eight, 66 for one. Patel, not for the first time, got a wicket early doors as with his second ball he had Willey (25) caught by the diving Lumb at long on, 70 for two. Sodhi came on for his maiden bowl from the Football End and went for seven in his first over. Patel was pegging Yorkshire back going for only 20 off his first three overs, the home team 108 for two off 11 overs. Mullaney got a belated introduction after Sodhi's two overs went for 20 and went for 10. Lyth now on 66 not out. Patel finished a good spell with 4 overs 1 for 26. Lyth was still on fire hoisting Mullaney for a huge six into the packed Western Terrace, 138 for two after 14 overs. Shaun Marsh hit Sodhi for a six over long on and hit him for successive fours as Sodhi's mediocre debut continued, going for 17 off his third over. Fletcher then returned, Adam Lyth who had scored 82 in 50 balls skied him as Moores took his second steepling catch behind the stumps, Fletcher only going for five in the 16th over. The third wicket had added 83 in nine overs. Leaning launched Mullaney for successive sixes into short legside boundary and into the drunks in the Western Terrace. Mullaney three overs for 39. The constant bowling changes continued as Gurney bowled Jack Leaning for 17, 177 for four with 16 balls remaining. Gurney though was culpable once more in bowling no balls and wides with 19 runs coming off the nine ball over as ball nine was hit for a six over mid wicket by Handscomb. Marsh got his 50 off 31 balls and then Handscomb hit Fletcher for successive legside sixes. Fletcher finished his spell with one for 43 off four overs. Handscomb was caught on the square leg ropes by Lumb for 21 as Gurney picked his third wicket, but then with the batsman having crossed Marsh hit yet another six. But the slogfest continued as Bresnan hit the beleaguered Gurney for another six, the 11th of the innings. The left armer three for 49. Yorkshire had got their record score Twenty/20 of 227 for five. Patel apart the bowling was poor and lacking line and length, Christian had rotated his seven bowlers to no avail as 74 runs came off the last five overs. Ouch! Wood a strange selection ahead of Root had bowled just one over for 15. Marsh on his debut 60 not out of 37 balls.
Notts faced a hopeless task as Willey's first over went for 10 with Hales hitting two fours. Over two bowled by Bresnan from the Kirkstall Lane End went for just seven. Hales hit Willey for a straight six with the force of the hit putting the ball out of shape as the umpires replaced the ball. Notts 28 for 0 after three overs. Hales was then dropped on the square leg ropes by Rafiq off Bresnan, an absolute sitter. Lumb who had scored 95 at Grantham two days previously against Northants stiffs fell for a painful eight ball innings that produced just a single caught at mid off by Rashid off Bresnan, 33 for one after four overs. Patterson's first over went for 13. Notts 55 for one after the six over powerplay as Hales stood on 47 not out. But the game was over as Hales was caught at deep mid wicket off the next ball the first of the evening by Rafiq, the biggest cheer of the night as Willey took the catch. Hales had faced 26 balls. Patel hit Rafiq for six over his trademark extra cover area as the ball had to be replaced once more. But Notts now needed over 13 an over as Patel was bowled by Rashid for 10, 77 for three off 9.2 overs. Notts were 80 for three at halfway house. Riki Wessels hit the ball straight back to Rafiq to depart for 19, 84 for four. Mullaney hit Patterson for six over mid wicket as rain started to fall. Mullaney then hit Rashid for sixes over extra cover and then long off but the result was now not in doubt. Fifteen runs came off Rafiq's last over as off spinner finished with two for 38. The 50 partnership between Christian and Mullaney was achieved via a six by Christian over deep square leg but off the next ball, and going for a repeat shot, he was caught on the square leg boundary by Rashid off Willey for 23, 138 for five in the 16th over. Mullaney fell to catch at deep mid wicket by David Willey off Steve Patterson for 39 off 18 balls, 147 for six. Wood then fell for a two ball duck by keeper Handscomb as Patterson picked up second wicket of the over. Sodhi's miserable debut saw him run out first ball going for an impossible single. The huge crowd was drifting away with the result academic as young Moores got some batting practice hitting Patterson for a straight six. Notts closed on 179 for right to lose by 48 runs. A poor start to the competition but a long way to go an extra batsman is needed for Edgbaston tomorrow. MAG
A weaken, from squads of late, Outlaws open their T20 campaign 2017 at fellow losing semi-finalists from 2016, Yorkshire.
The Tykes will be weaken by England call-ups but still there will be evidence of a strengthened wider squad on show for the hosts.
Outlaws will be fielding their overseas pairing of Aussie perennial Dan Christian and new to England Kiwi Ish Sodhi.
Chris Read has chosen to sit out of this competition in his final year so Tom Moores will have the gloves. Also absent will be Jake Ball (knee) and Stuart Broad (England) with James Pattinson fhaving lown back to Australia, otherwise Moores senior has a full compliment to mould into a winning team.
Announced squad:
Alex Hales
Michael Lumb
Riki Wessels
Samit Patel
Steven Mullaney
Dan Christian
Tom Moores
Luke Wood
Luke Fletcher
Ish Sodhi
Harry Gurney
No place in the squad for that valued batsman who was given an improved new contract
ReplyDeletelast season (alias Smith )
Would anticipate either Wood or Hutton to make final X1
Can Notts afford both Gurney and Fletcher in the field . Probably not
Notts probably couldn't afford the unholy trinity of Fletcher Gurney and Brendan Taylor in the field at the same time but without Ball, Gurney has to play and Fletcher is now senior bowler. Smith's not getting a look-in this season and has dropped behind Root in the pecking order. Contracts are like confetti for certain players.
ReplyDeleteLove him to bits but Fletch is not the one only senior bowler and he is not altogether automatic choice either. Gurney is the main man particularly in T20 as he is the specialist bowler in the power play and at the death. If fit Ball would certainly play, probably instead of Fletch although his ability with the white ball still has some way to go. Agree Smith doesn't appear to be in the clubs long term plans anymore.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Fletch is no way an automatic choice when there's a full squad to choose from.
Deletepoor display ,,but we are setting such high standards lately,go and win tomorrow
ReplyDeleteBuenos días Buenos Aires
ReplyDeleteStandards and expectations are high and margins for error are small in this format. As MAG said in his report the team balance was wrong. If we haven't got Broad and Ball then we shouldn't try to substitute them with like for like necessarily with less seasoned individuals. No one other than Samit, looking at the numbers, had any kind of control which makes the performances of DC and Sodhi, in particular, so disappointing. I'm not going to lay into Gurney as he did ok given the circumstances, being on a hiding to nothing. A repeat show against Bears should prompt a rethink by Peter Moores who hopefully will be quicker to react than Mick Newell.
The side was well balanced when u got 7 bowling options It's left to the captain to make best use of them
ReplyDelete