Leicestershire Foxes NWT20 Blast at Trent Bridge

FOXES SCRAPE THROUGH WITH NARROW WIN & INTO QUARTER-FINALS

CHRISTIAN DRAGS OUTLAWS CLOSE-ISH BUT NOTTS ARE LEFT FLOUNDERING IN THE LAST OVER AS POOR BOWLING AND FIELDING TAKE THEIR TOLL

Despite a fantastic innings by Captain Dan Christian, Leicestershire sneaked into the knockout stages into T20 via a two run victory at a cool Trent Bridge last night. Leicestershire's hero was Cameron Delport with a Twenty 20 best of 109; Notts were made to pay for indifferent bowling and a fumbling fielding performance. It was another belting pitch, although the ropes were pushed out, only the Bridgford Road side having a short boundary. Notts having already won the Northern Section now face Somerset in the quarter final next Thursday.

In front of a crowd of 10776 an unchanged Notts won the toss and inserted Leicester. Patel bowled the first over from the Pavilion End with eight coming off it including some poor fielding by Ball at mid off which handed Delport a four. Gurney bowled the second over and with his third ball had Ronchi (2) taken on the square leg ropes by Hales, 10 for one. Seven off the over. Ball came on next bowling four dot ball and then he was hit for six over mid wicket by Delport, 22 for one off three overs. The fourth over was bowled by Christian and his second ball was hit for massive six over mid wicket by Cosgrove, eleven off the over. Gurney replaced Ball and conceded eight. Jake Ball bowled the last over of the power play going for seven, 48 for one. Over 7, Mullaney was hit for three consecutive fours by Cosgrove the over costing 16. Patel then went for five singles in the eighth over. Sodhi bowled a wide then dropped Cosgrove low down but he got his man next ball caught at short third man by Patel for 37 off 23 balls (4 x 4 , 1 x 6), 70 for two. Sodhi's first over went for seven. Patel went for six. Sodhi was hit for six into The Fridge by Delport. Ackermann was then caught and bowled by Sodhi for five, 89 for three. Sodhi going for 13, 95 for three off 11. Samit was frugal once more, his last over costing four, 23 runs conceded overall. He has been consistently Notts most economical bowler through the tournament. Christian (3-0-32-0) bowled the thirteenth over, eight off the over as Delport got to his 50 with a driven four off 33 balls. The return of Sodhi saw him go for six, four and six by Delport, eighteen off the over. Once again the disappointing Kiwi could not be trusted to bowl out his spell; 3-0-38-2. Ball returned as Delport hit him for four and then a six into The Fridge. Eckersley joined the fun; hitting for Ball three consecutive fours, 23 off the over, 149 for three off 15 overs. Delport then hocked Mullaney (2-0-27-0) for six into the Fox Road, the over going for 11. The rapid scoring continued with Christian conceding 14, 174 for three off 17. Man of the match Delport got to his second T20 ton off 54 balls with a two off Gurney. The over ended with a six over mid wicket by Eckersley, 13 off the over. Eckersley was dismissed for 30 bowled by Ball for 30 off 18 balls, 188 for four. The fourth wicket stand had added 99 in eight overs. Jake Ball finished with one for 44 off his 24 balls. Tom Wells hit his own wicket off Gurney (4-0-36-2) for three. Leicestershire closed on 203 for five with Delport 109 not out off 59 balls (9 x 6, 6 x 6). Notts will have to be smarter with the ball and more keyed up in the field in the quarter final.

McKay bowled the first over from the Radcliffe Road End and went for six including a four for Wessels. Hales hit Ali's off breaks for four consecutive fours, and then there was a dot ball. Hales (17 off nine balls) did not get hold off the last ball of the over and was caught at mid off by Colin Ackermann, 22 for one. McKay conceded just two off the third over via a misfired, Moores struggling to connect. Thirteen came off Ali's next over including consecutive fours for Moores. Wessels (6) was caught at cover by Eckersley as McKay picked up a wicket, 36 for two. Pillans bowled the sixth over. Moores holed out caught at mid off by McKay, 16 off 14 balls, 44 for three off 5.3 overs. Pillans conceded two, Notts 46 for three at the end of the power play. Griffiths came on was hit for a straight six by Patel, 11 off the over. Delport then conceded 10, 67 for three after eight overs. Parkinson was hit for six over long on by Patel, who repeated the shot there balls later, 19 off the over. The 50 partnership between Taylor and Patel came up in 25 balls via a four for Taylor (12) but he was out next ball caught off a sweep shot by McKay, Delport the bowler, 94 for four off 9.5 overs. Pillans bowled the eleventh over and the game appeared just about up as Patel was caught at mid on, 39 off 19 balls, 100 for five. Delport then came on for his third over and conceded seven. Griffiths conceded 13 a no ball beamer being followed by a six off the free hit by Mullaney over long off, 122 for 5 off 13 overs. Mullaney (7) was out in an identikit fashion to his New a Road dismissal caught low at extra cover as Wells picked up a wicket with his first ball, 127 for six off 14 overs. Dan Christian hit Griffiths for a leg side six but Notts now needed an unlikely 66 off five overs. Eight came off Delport's last over, 1 for 31. Christian was dropped on 27 by Ali off Griffiths (4-0-55-0) the ball going for four; next ball Christian found the middle tier of the Radcliffe Road, with two following off the next ball. A six over extra cover next and then a single, 20 off the over. Pillans bowled over 18 and a leg side four for Christian got to 50 off 25 balls, another four followed, 14 off the over. 179 for six off 18. McKay came back for his last over an enormous six for Christian over extra cover off his first ball. Two off the next ball. Then a four through point. Then a four over the wicket keepers head. Christian then held out at square leg boundary by Delport, 73 off 32 balls (5 x 4, 5 x 6); he left to a standing ovation. Nine needed off seven balls, but the key man gone; Root took a single off the last ball, 17 off the over. McKay 2 for 31 off his four. Pillans bowled the last over, one to Root off the first delivery. The hapless Sodhi was yorked for a duck first ball. A single followed for Ball via a shot to third man. All down to Root now, could he find the rope? No was the answer .21 was all he could muster off the last three balls. Notts losing by two runs. Pillans on loan from Surrey had kept his nerve with three for 24. Root 16 not out off 16 balls without a boundary. Christian’s innings all but got Notts over the line but not quite. MAG

............................. After Thursday's fixtures, Outlaws are confirmed as Northern Group winners for 2017. Yorkshire now sit second but need a favour from one of Rapids (v Derbyshire) , Lancashire (v Bears), Durham (v Northants) or Outlaws (v Foxes), if they are to progress.

Therefore Foxes have everything to play for, whilst Outlaws will want to maintain their winning momentum. The gauntlet has tonight been thrown down for Alex Hales and/or Riki Wessels by Adam Lyth, with a new domestic individual highest score of 161 or perhaps the new opening partnership record set by Bell-Drummond and Denly of Kent, 207 might be a target.

No one should expect any changes to the eleven. Will it be back to the shorter boundaries and another slog-fest?

The State of T20

T20 or Twenty-20 cricket, as it was once known, has from its concept had its doubters, those that fear the damage being done to players technique or to the kind of crowds it attracts into our grounds, particularly on a Friday night. Those concerns are indeed valid, players' temperaments have changed, patience and an ability to "put yer 'ed down 'n' graft" is now a dying craft, but player shot  repertoires have expanded, new shots invented and scores have soured in both T20 but also in the 50 overs competition in recent times.

One doubter is dear Richard, who has been known to contribute on this blog and often writes to various publications.

  MAG, who writes match reports for this blog, has been known to voice his concerns about shortened boundaries and slog-fests  at Trent Bridge becoming the norm and with games taking a familiar form. We've had few variations from the mold this season, but I wouldn't attribute the lower attendances to this, like Richard has. The timing of the competition, to be when people are away on holiday, as I was at the beginning of this competition, along with the loss of the Friday night routine scheduling has more to do with declining numbers attending, along with discouraging weather forecasts that coincide with match times, unluckily, in my opinion.

The regular "Friday nighters" will roll-up so long as there's a game and the beer is for sale, as they will tonight, though the wind and showers forecast might keep numbers down again; but if the evening sun comes out over West Bridgford at 6PM, those locals in two minds, might boost the attendance to between 10 and 12 k again by 7PM, even-though Outlaws have already won the group, which will please our Lisa, and Colin can always be relied on to whip-up a racket (which the youngsters allegedly want, rather than to enjoy the cricket).

Expect a few drunken, loud and football-orientated voices in the Fox Road by 8.30, Lestar-sher-la-la-la...