Somerset NWT20 Blast Q/F at Trent Bridge

PETER TREGO ADOPTS THE MANTLE OF THE EVIL SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

as OUTLAWS' HEROES take the APPLAUSE in PANTOMIME Q/F MATCH 

Notts booked their place at the Twenty 20 finals day with a five wicket victory over Somerset in front of a crowd of 12171 at Trent Bridge last night. Notts heroes were captain Dan Christian, Jake Ball and man of the match Samit Patel. 

The pitch was slightly two paced so the normal slog fest was not quite in evidence but despite losing three wickets in the power play crucially Brendan Taylor and Patel had time to consolidate as Somerset's total was probably 20 or so under par. Then it was left to Christian and Mullaney to aid the acceleration as Notts got home with nine balls to spare. Upfront, Ball outstanding double wicket maiden removed Gregory and Myburgh, he was well backed up by the ever reliable Patel and Dan Christian. The combined figures for these three were 12-1-70-6. Meanwhile Gurney, Mullaney and the completely out of form Sodhi went for 8-0-78-0. The visitors badly missed their overseas players and were out batted and out bowled by Notts. Their fielding though was much slicker than Notts.

Dan Christian won the toss and inserted Somerset. Notts were unchanged once more. Patel opened from the Pavilion End and conceded three singles. Gurney bowled the second over and it cost 14, the wide off the last ball was punished with a six for Davies. Ball replaced Patel and removed Gregory's (3) middle stump with his second ball, the right hander stepping away and missing a fast straight one, 17 for one. Next ball Myburgh edged into Moores’ gloves, a golden duck. Trego came in and played three dot balls surviving a run out attempt from the Ball, a double wicket maiden (the first maiden this season for Notts in T20). Christian's first ball was hit through point for four by Davies, six off the over. Ball was kept on and went for six including a four for Davies. Gurney replaced Christian and went for eight, Somerset 37 for two at the end of the power play. Sodhi then arrived as timetabled, a dreadful half tracker saw him hit for six over square leg by Trego. Sodhi then dropped Trego with his last ball a chance high to his left side, 10 off the over. Patel came back on and Davies hit him for huge six over mid wicket and then a four, 59 for two off eight overs. The dross continued from Sodhi as he was hit into the Larwood and Voce by Trego. The 50 partnership for the third wicket came up in five overs.. Another 10 off Sodhi, he never returned two overs for 20. Mullaney on for the tenth over, a dreadful piece of fielding from Taylor gifted Somerset a four, seven off the over including a leg bye, 76 for two at halfway house. Christian returned four off the bat plus a leg bye. Mullaney (2-0-19-0) was hit for six over square leg by Davies who reached his 50 with a single next ball off 33 balls. Trego then hit for four, 14 off the over. Trego was well caught to his right by Jake Ball at long leg off Christian for 40, 102 for three after 13 overs. Trego with Davies had scored 85 runs together off 63 deliveries. James Hildreth departed for a golden duck tapping the ball straight back to Patel. Seven off the over. Davies then fell for 59 caught at square leg by Hales off Christian. The left hander 59 off 41 balls (5 x 3, 3 x 6) was the largest on the night, 114 for five. Christian four overs for two for 23. His bowling has improved throughout the competition. Aberdonian Michael Leask (1) was next to fall caught at long on by Mullaney off Patel, 118 for six. Patel two for 26 off his 24 balls. Jake Ball then went for six, 125 for six off 17 overs. Gurney returned as van der Merwe hit him for four through third man. Van der Merwe was then caught off a no ball by keeper Moores as Gurney bowled a delivery above waist height, 137 for six off 18 overs. Van der Merwe hit Jake Ball's last ball for for four, but the Welbeck Wizard had bowled well once more with figures of two for 21. 146 for six off 19 overs. Only five came off Gurney's last over. Somerset 151 for six with van der Merwe 27 not out and Craig Overton 14 not out. Gurney rather expensive with four overs 0 for 39. The seventh wicket stand added an unbroken 33 off 4.1 overs.

Max Waller bowled the first over of the reply from the Pavilion End as twilight descended. Wessels (1) hit a long hop straight to Craig Overton at square leg, two for one off three balls, another two singles followed. Hales hit Craig Overton's first three balls for four and then three dot balls followed. Paul van der Meekeren then was hit for a boundary first ball by Tom Moores, a six into The Fridge followed off the fifth delivery, 26 for one off three overs. Captain Lewis Gregory bowled over four. Hales (14 off 11 balls) was then caught at mid off by Trego low down at mid off, the decision going to review, 26 for two off 3.2 overs. TV umpire Graham Lloyd taking an age to decide whether or not Trego had caught the catch cleanly or taken it on the half volley. 

A decision that didn't match those of the 12000 spectators or the Notts players, who had seen the replays on the big screen.

Just two off the over, 28 for two off four overs. Craig Overton came back and was hit for four through backward square leg by Taylor. Moores was next to go caught at square leg by van der Merwe off Overton for 13, 34 for three. Gregory was hit for fours by Patel and Taylor as the sixth over went for 13, 44 for three at the end of the power play. Van der Merwe then came on to bowl and went for only five. Waller returned and went for eight including a four through point by Patel, 57 for three off eight overs.. Van der Merwe then conceded five singles. Gronewald then came on for Waller bowled two wides and then Taylor (20 off 20 balls – 2 x 4) hit the ball to Myburgh at backward point and was run out being sent back by Patel for 2, the single was never on. Thirty runs had been added 27 balls. Notts got to 69 for four off 10 overs compared to 76 for two for Somerset at the equivalent stage. Waller returned and conceded five singles, the boundaries had dried up. Notts needed 78 off nine overs. Gronewald was hit for six over mid wicket by Patel then followed it up with a beautiful cut for four. Christian then hit Waller for four. Two balls later the leg spinner was hit over long on for six by Christian, 11 off the over. Waller with 4-0-28-1 was though much better than his leg spinning Notts counterpart. Van der Meekeren came on for over 14, the hundred came up via an off driven four from Patel. Next ball Patel hit him for six over square leg. Patel then cut the Dutchman for four, 113 for four off 14 overs. Van der Merwe then came back, seven off the over. Gregory returned and Patel was run out for 45 (5 x 4, 2 x 6) off 28 balls as the bowler kicked the balls onto the stumps as Christian went for the single, 120 for five. The fifth wicket stand between Patel and Christian had 54 off 34 balls. Only three singles off the over, 29 required off four overs. Van der Merwe stayed on and went for five, four overs 0 for 22. Craig Overton then bowled a wide, then a dot ball, then was hit for a leg side four by Mullaney. Then a single. Christian then hit a six over point and two balls later a six over long off, 19 off the over; the game had turned dramatically in Notts favour. Lewis Gregory bowled the nineteenth over, a dot ball was followed by a single to Christian. With the field up Mullaney hit the winning hit with a boundary over mid wicket. Christian finished unbeaten on 36 off 26 balls (1 x 4, 2 x 6) and Mullaney had 20 (2 x 4, 1 x 6) off 13 balls. The final six count was six to Notts and five for Somerset. With the spinners having a more important role compared to previous games this season at Trent Bridge, this was a good preparation for the likely sort of pitch Notts will encounter at Edgbaston in eight days time. The big question is whether Stuart Broad will be available for Birmingham and if so who he would replace.

 In between times, Northants await as championship cricket returns on Monday after a nine week gap. MAG

Peter Trego's antics meant that he fully deserved the reaction he got from the crowd for much of the remainder of the innings after his catch; his comments on Twitter don't really clear him from the accusations thrown at him either. Just because Alex Hales hits it hard, doesn't exempt anyone from making false claims. 

He certainly acted his role as pantomime villain to the full.

[Lewis Gregory interview: the on field umpires "thought it had bounced" from their view of it on the big screen]

Umpire Lloyd, needs to book an appointment with the umpires' sponsor ASAP or was he shown a different game to review...

Q/F 2

Foxes Slump as Glam Stroll to Finals Day

• Foxes won the toss and elected to bat
• Delport failed and as a result Foxes didn't post a target worth a mention.
• The "Welsh" then had little difficulty chasing down that below par target by 9 wickets

Q/F 1

The Slaughter of the Sheep

• Hampshire's winning margin 101 runs
• Shahid Afridi's score 101 runs
• Enough said!

Queue Busting

So I've printed my tickets off for Thursday, piece of cake... I'll now only have to queue once, to scan the ticket on the way in...... oops queue twice:  to scan ticket on entry and to have my bag searched for contraband ... queue three times:  to scan ticket on entry, to have my bag searched for contraband and to go to the toilet if it's necessary.... queue four times: to scan ticket on entry, to have my bag searched for contraband, to go to the toilet and to buy refreshments...this could go on if I thought about it, queue to go in the car park and then queue to get out at the end, if I went to the club shop....... etc,  but at least I won't have to queue at the ticket office.

Twelve quid, a bargain.... 22 quid at Derby should I want to practise queuing on Tuesday.

Good News

On Monday, Luke Fletcher and Billy Root both confirmed two year contract extensions with Notts.