Leicestershire Foxes VitalityT20 Blast at Grace Road Win

OUTLAWS OUT MUSCLE INFERIOR FOXES

In front of a disappointingly small Grace Road crowd, Notts beat the local Foxes by a comfortable margin of 19 runs. The victory was set up via a 97 stand for the third wicket between Tom Moores (51) and Samit Patel (52). Samit produced the best innings of the match caressing the ball to all parts as he raced to 50 off 26 balls. Moores and man of the match Dan Christian (47) innings’ were more of the strong armed variety as Notts recorded an above par 199. Leicester after putting 51 on for the first wicket then lost their way after a stunning catch by Mullaney removed danger man Cosgrove for a duck. Leicester eventually finishing with a total of 180 for 9. Mohammed Nabi (32 off 18 balls and 4-0-24-2) impressed with bat and ball for the home side but Notts had too much experience with the ball. There were two wIckets apiece for Christian, Fletcher, Mullaney and Sodhi. The latter impressed once again removing top scorer Neil Dexter for 43.

An unchanged Notts were inserted by Leicester. On a perfect day, there were a good number of empty seats around the ground. Despite all the efforts of CEO Wasim Khan, the Leicester public could not respond in sufficient numbers in their Marque fixture of the season. Abbas (4-0-37-0) opened from the Bennett End conceding seven including a four through mid wicket by Mullaney. Nabi removed Mullaney (6) with his fourth ball being caught at mid wicket by Ackermann, 9 for one. Moores hit his second ball through the covers for four. Chappell bowled the third over and Wessels (4) became his first victim caught at mid on by Abbas, 17 for two off 3 overs. Ben Raine was greeted with an offside four by Moores who later in the over hit a four through long on, 13 off the over. Chappell stayed on, 35 for two after five overs. Abbas bowled the sixth over, Patel hitting him for successive fours through point and followed it up with a mid wicket four, 49 for two at the end of the power play. A good start on a pitch that at times seemed sluggish.

Nabi conceded three singles in the seventh over. Callum Parkinson bowled the next over. Moores hit him for a six into the Pavilion End sightscreen and off his last ball a six over long off to bring up the 50 partnership with Patel in five overs, 68 for two off 8 overs. Raine was hit for offside fours by Patel, 10 off the over. Deport was guided for four through third man by Patel. He repeated the shot three balls later, 89 for two after 10 overs. Dexter was hit for successive straight fours by Patel who got to his 50 off 26 balls via a leg side flick for four. Moores then blasted Dexter for a straight four, 18 off the over. Dexter not required to bowl again. Parkinson was launched for six over extra cover by Moores. Samit Patel (52 – 28 balls – 10 x 4) was then caught at long on by Delport off Parkinson, 114 for three. The 3rd wicket had added 97 runs in 8.3 overs; the key phase of the game. Next ball, a leg side six brought up Moores 50 off 29 balls, but he perished next ball caught at deep square leg by Raine, the second wicket in the over for Parkinson, 120 for four after 12 overs. Moores 51 off 30 balls (4 x 4, 4 x 6). Abbas returned and went for five. Christian dabbed Nabi behind the wicket for four. Coughlin departed for five caught at deep square leg by Tom Wells off Nabi following some boundary rope gymnastics, 134 for five after 14 overs. Two dot balls by Chappell were followed by successive fours by Christian on the off and leg sides; then a powerful four through extra cover, 12 off the over. Afghan Nabi went for six off his last over. Abbas was hit for a mid wicket four by Christian and then a four through square leg, 164 for 5 off 17 overs. Christian hit Raine for a four through mid wicket. Fraine then got a four through fine leg, 13 off the over. Chappell bowled the 19th over, after a dot ball; he went for six over long on by Christian. The Notts captain was bowled next ball 47 off 29 balls (7 x 1, 1 x 6), 183 for six. Fletcher went for a two ball duck losing his middle stump to Chappell, 184 for seven off 19 overs. Chappell enhanced his potential recruitment prospects with 4-0-25-3. Ben Raine (4-0-51-1) was hit for four backward of point by Root. Fraine then hit a slower ball for four through mid wicket but then Fraine was bowled Raine for 12, losing his off stump, 193 for eight. Sodhi trying a pull edged a four over the keeper's head. Sodhi then got two, 199 for eight. Root and Sodhi both 6 not out.

Gurney started from the Bennett End and conceded 10 all from the bat of Delport including two fours. Patel bowled over two, Dexter hitting him for successive fours, then to round the over a six over long off by Delport, 15 off the over. Christian came on and conceded five. Fletcher replaced Patel and conceded eight, 38 for 0 after 4 overs. Gurney then returned, conceding five plus a leg bye. Delport brought the Leicester 50 up with a four through mId wicket off Fletcher. The Bomber though got his revenge by castling Delport for 33 (23 balls, 4 x 4, 1 x 6). Leicester 51 for one at the end of the power play.

Christian bowled the seventh over and after three dot balls a leg side four for Dexter. A stunning catch by Mullaney diving at mid wicket to a very hard shot from Cosgrove saw the Aussie gone for a 2 ball duck, 56 for two. Mullaney needed brief treatment following the astonishing acrobatics. Ish Sodhi then came on and conceded five singles. Christian remained on as Dexter hit him for four through extra cover and then a six over long off, 15 off the over. Poor fielding from Fraine going for offside catch off Sodhi and seeing the ball spin over him resulted in four for Dexter, but next ball Dexter went caught by Christian at deep mid wicket departing for 43 (28 balls, 5 x 4, 1 x 6), 80 for three. Skipper Ackermann then hit a leg side four, 10 off the over. Patel came on from the Bennett End. Lewis Hill became Patel's first victim of the T20 season caught at deep square leg by Fraine for a 2 ball duck, 86 for four. Nabi then hit Patel for a straight four, but only five off the over, 90 for 4 off 11 overs. Mullaney bowled the 12th over and with his third ball he dismissed Ackermann for 15 caught at backward square by the ebullient Sodhi, 93 for five. Gurney replaced Patel and conceded five singles; Leicester now needed 14 an over off the last seven overs. Mullaney (3-0-35-2) picked up wicket number two Raine (6) caught at deep mid wicket by Fraine, 102 for six. Nabi hit Mullaney for a leg side four, nine off the over. Fletcher then bowled his third over, Nabi hitting him four over mid wicket and then through the same area a six. A four followed through backward square, 128 for six off 15 overs. Sodhi was keeping his cool conceding six, Nabi getting an offside four off the last ball. Leicester now needed a miracle as the Notts Captain completed his spell with two for 32 with Nabi playing on for 32 (4 x 4, 1 x 6), 141 for seven. Luke Fletcher (4-0-36-2) came on from the Pavilion End as Chappell (2) reversed paddled him straight to Gurney, 144 for eight. Sodhi (4-0-35-2) then had his last turn, Wells (19) slogged him for six into the Bennett hospitality suite but then perished caught on the mid wicket ropes by Wessels, 156 for nine. Parkinson (11 not out) and Abbas (15 not out) added an unbeaten 24, as the last over from Mullaney cost 19 including a six for Abbas. The game long over as a contest. Another good performance from Notts. MAG

With the on going concerns of:

• The top order collectively not firing yet
• Samit Patel's bowling

Steven Mullaney, 
Riki Wessels, 
Harry Gurney, 
Matt Milnes, 
Luke Fletcher, 
Matt Carter, 
Samit Patel, 
Tom Moores (wkt), 
Paul Coughlin, 
Will Fraine, 
Dan Christian (c), 
Ish Sodhi, 
Billy Root

Do Outlaws stick (with the team that blew Northants away) or twist and bring in the bowling option of Matt Carter or Matt Milnes?

It's great to see Paul Coughlin making his debut and Will Fraine getting a chance as well and after last night's result at Leicester, where Imran Tahir's leggies destroyed the home side, Ish Sodhi looks to be the likely key man for Outlaws on Sunday so possibly the only decision is in the Outlaws' batting order...

Who should open?