Worcestershire Rapids NWT20 Blast at New Road, Worcester

BOWLERS GRASP THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO STAR WITH THE BALL

as Outlaws qualify for Quarter-finals

A great Notts bowling effort saw Notts win a nail biter by 11 runs at a packed but very quiet New Road and secured their quarter final berth. Notts in dire trouble at 80 for six in the eleventh over got to 145 all out. Christian and Root having a seventh wicket stand of 50 off seven overs. It was great to see Root having a chance to make a contribution. His career best 37 off 27 balls with four boundaries was the highest in the match. The Notts total though looked below par despite a slow pitch. The small boundary on the Cathedral side looked inviting but neither team really capitalised on it. Notts needed early wickets and got them with four in the power play including the key wicket of Joe Clarke. Gurney bowled his four overs for two off 18. Ball with his rhythm well and truly back, excelled with four overs two for 22 and Captain Dan Christian 3 for 18 off three overs. A great and unexpected fight back from Notts. Unless Northants win their last two games by huge margins Notts will have a home quarter final. Worcestershire whose season took a turn for the worst when Kohler-Cadmore handed in his notice, bowled and fielded with great keenness and had a man of the match performance of five to 24 from young Alex Hepburn. But their batting was throttled by an outstanding Notts bowling performance.

Notts were unchanged once more and were inserted on a slowish pitch. Santner opened up with his slow left armers from the Diglis End and his third ball was dispatched by Wessels for six over the short square leg boundary on the Cathedral side, 12 off the first over. Josh Tongue bowled the second over. Hales hit him for two boundaries but then Hales was caught behind by Cox for nine, 21 for one. George Scrimshaw bowling brisk right armers replaced Santner and went for four singles, Notts 27 for one after three overs. Wessels hit the last ball of Tongue's second over for six over third man, 13 off the over. Wessels was dropped at mid off by Leach when on 24 off Scrimshaw. To rub salt in the wounds the next ball was hit for six over long on. Revenge was short though as the innings untangled, Riki Wessels leg before to the next ball for 32 (2 x 4, 3 x 6) off 14 balls, 57 for two after five overs. Two balls later, Tom Moores mistimed a pull and was caught and bowled by Tongue for 15 (13 balls 2 x 4). Five dot balls where followed by a cover drive for four by Taylor, 61 for three at the end of the power play. Santner returned and three singles were acquired by Patel and Taylor. Brett d'Oliveira came on bowling leg spin from the New Road End, six off the over including a boundary for Patel. Santner conceded five as Notts were being tied down, 75 for three off nine. Taylor holed out to long off caught Clarke bowled d'Oliveira for nine, 77 for four. The Western Australian born Alex Hepburn picked up a wicket with his first ball with Patel (13) being caught at square leg by Leach, 80 for five. Two balls later Mullaney tamely hit Hepburn low down to d'Oliveira at cover, 80 for six. D'Oliveira went for six in over 12, 92 for six. Root hit Hepburn for four, but only nine off the over. Scrimshaw (3-0-29-1) came on from the New Road End, Christian powerfully hitting him for four through the covers, eight off the over; 109 for six off 14. Santner bowled the fifteenth over with Christian dropped by the bowler on 17. Root got a streaky four, Santner four overs nought for 27, seven off his last over. Josh Tongue then bowled out conceding just four, two for 32. Leach belatedly bowled himself but the stranglehold continued despite four for Root, 129 for six off 17. Hepburn returned as the fifty partnership was raised between Root and Christian. The captain departed caught by Santner at long for 22 off 21 balls, 130 for seven. Notts with two overs left stood at 134 for seven. Leach was hit for four backward of square by Root making room. The left hander always uncomfortable against the short ball tamely edged to Cox for 37, a valiant effort, 141 for eight off 19 overs. A poor shot from Sodhi saw him perish for three caught d'Oliveira at square leg as Hepburn picked up wicket number four. Ball hit a four but then was caught at long on. Notts 145 all out with three balls unused. Hepburn five for 24 off 3.3 overs. Notts' total looked at least 20 under par.

Patel was first up from the New Road End. Leach (5) hit him for four but holed out to Hales at long on, six for one, four byes both Santner and Moores beaten and huge six over mid wicket followed, 16 for one off six balls. Santner completed miscued Gurney and was caught by Wessels at short cover for six, 17 for two. Two off Gurney's first over. Jake Ball came into the attack and went for three, 21 for two off three overs. Christian then bowled. Joe Clarke smashed for four but became another batsman to mistimed the ball, skying to Brendan Taylor at cover, the star man gone for nine, 28 for three off four overs. Gurney was next on at the New Road End, six off the over including a wide. Ball followed Christian from the Diglis End. D'Oliveira (3) made room and lost his off stump to the Welbeck Wizard, 35 for four. Worcestershire at the end of the power play were 38 for four. Samit returned, just a couple of singles. Sodhi's second ball went for four hit by Mitchell through backward point. A replicate shot followed off the last ball. The over cost 12 and brought the home crowd back to life. Patel then went for six, 58 for four off nine overs. Sodhi (2-0-17-0) went for five, 63 for four at half way house. Mullaney bowled a good over that went for five; Worcestershire required 78 off nine overs. Christian came on for Sodhi as Cox got a four through fine leg. The keeper then edged Christian to Moores to leave with 17 (21 balls – 1 x 4) to his name, 73 for five. Danger man Whiteley strode to the crease and greeted Mullaney with a four through extra cover, the over costing nine. Christian then bowled his third over. The over went for five and off his last ball Mitchell (32 off 32 balls – 2 x 4) skied him to Wessels at mid off, 88 for six off 14 overs. Barnard cut Mullaney for four, five singles followed, 97 for four off 15. Patel came on from the Diglis End. Barnard hoisted him for six over the short square leg boundary, a single followed. Whiteley was dropped off a difficult caught and bowled chance on 13. Patel four overs 1 for 29. Worcester 108 for six off 16. Then came the champagne moment of the match Ball removing Barnard (15) with the second ball of the over, via a quite brilliant diving catch to his right by Christian at mid off, 108 for seven. Four off the over. Worcester needed 34 off the last three overs. Gurney on for over 18. Hepburn cover drove his first ball for four and then got a single. Eight off the over. 26 now required off two overs. Jake Ball bowled a dot ball, then a two, wide then a huge straight six from Whiteley then a dot ball, then two singles. Ball 4-0-22-2. Worcester 131 for seven off 19 overs. Gurney had the pleasure of the last over. Dot ball. Then a bye. Whiteley now on strike made room and lost his off stump for 28 (24 balls – 1 x 4, 1 x 6). One to Tongue. Then a dot ball and then another single. The match was far more intriguing to watch than slog fests at Trent Bridge, the large travelling contingent were well rewarded for their efforts. MAG

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Worcestershire beat Outlaws at Fortress Trent Bridge last month when the power batting got bogged down by the Rapids taking the pace off the ball. So Outlaws must learn from their earlier mistakes and not take a win against this season's also rans as an automatic win.