HALES STANDS AND DELIVERS
Outlaws rewarded with Taunton tie
Notts saved their best to last, qualifying for the quarter finals with relative ease with a resounding 8 wicket victory over Yorkshire with an over spare. Alex Hales came good when it mattered most, anchoring the chase with 71 not out off 56 balls (5 x 4, 1 x 6) and adding 25 in three overs with Riki Wessels and 73 in 8 overs with Jake Libby. Tom Moores doing vigorous exercise with physio Jamie Pipe before he came to crease helped Hales add the final 71 runs in 54 balls with an explosive 43 not out off 24 with three fours and three sixes the last two off Tykes' skipper David Willey to win the match. The 10,000 plus crowd fully expecting a home victory were leaving in their droves well before the winning hit was made. Notts were 17 ahead of the Yorkshire score at the end of the power play never looked backed always being well ahead of the DLS target score. Yorkshire had scored what looked a slightly under par score of 163 with Willey top scoring with 51 and Lyth and Williamson both scoring 44. Gurney was outstanding only conceding 16 in his four overs and Matt Carter should be pleased with his debut dismissing Kohler-Cadmore and conceding 25 in the powerplay.
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat on an used pitch. Matt Carter made his belated T20 debut in place of Billy Root. Kohler-Cadmore hit Carter's first ball for 4 but perished next ball caught by Mullaney at short mid wicket. The next four balls to Willey were not scored off. Gurney then came on at the Football Stand End and conceded three singles. Adam Lyth swept Carter for 4. Yorkshire 12 for one off three overs. Lyth hit Fletcher for six over point taking advantage of short boundary to the eastern side, eight off the over. Willey hit Carter for six over long on and later a boundary through point, 16 off the over. Gurney bowled the last over of the power play, Yorkshire 41 for one.
Christian brought himself on and conceded five. Sodhi came on from the Football Stand End and went for three. Adam Lyth hit Fletcher for six over mid wicket to bring up the 50 partnership, 59 for 1 off 9 overs. Lyth swept Sodhi for 4, 10 off the over. A short ball from Christian was smashed for four by Willey, he followed it with a leg side six. Two balls later, a straight six from Willey, 16 off the over. Lyth reverse swept Sodhi for four.
Yorkshire well set at 96 for one off 12 overs
Mullaney then had a bowl from the Kirkstall Lane End and Lyth (44 off 36 balls with three fours and two sixes) fell to his first ball as he mistimed the ball as Moores took a steepling catch to his right, 96 for two. Two off Mullaney's first and only over. Willey got to his 50 off 37 balls with two off Patel, seven off the over. Next over, Willey (51 off 40 balls three sixes and two fours) hit Fletcher straight to Hales on the mid wicket ropes, 106 for three, four off the over. Kane Williamson hit Patel (2 0 27 0) for a straight four and followed it with a leg side six, a mid wicket four and then a four through extra cover, 20 off the over. Ballance reverse swept Sodhi for four. A short ball from Sodhi saw Ballance (7) hole out to Hales on the square leg ropes, 136 for four. Sodhi 4 0 33 1, 139 for 4 off 17 overs. Williamson hit Gurney for a straight four. Two balls later Thompson was bowled by Gurney for two, 144 for five. Seven off the 18th over. Williamson drove Fletcher for four and followed it with a glance for four, 12 off the over. Three byes a leg bye and a single came off Gurney's last over as Williamson was run out off the last ball for 44 off 26 balls, 163 for six off 20 overs. Gurney 4 0 16 1.
Yorkshire below par?
Wessels Chinese cut Willey for four, then hit him for a leg side four, eight off the over. Hales got a boundary through mid wicket off Brooks, 16 for 0 off 2 overs. Wessels top edged Willey for four and followed it with a four through mid wicket. Wessels played on to Willey for 16 off 12 balls, 25 for one off 3 overs. Hales got six off Brooks via four overthrows, he followed it with a leg side four, 14 off the over. The fifth over from Plunkett went for three. Hales leg glanced Fisher for four. Libby then cover drove a four and then ramped Fisher for six, 58 for one at the end of the power play.
Notts ahead of the DLS
The rapid Plunkett conceded three singles off the seventh over. Eight was scored off Thompson's opening over. Hales hit Plunkett for four through extra cover, 79 for one off nine overs. Lyth went for five in his opening over. Thompson was hit for six over long off and then Hales hit a straight four.
Notts in a comparable position to Yorkshire, 97 for one off 11 overs.
Libby was then stumped by Tattersall off Lyth for 30, 98 for two. Three off the over. Hales reached 50 with a two off Brooks, seven off the over, 107 for two off 13 overs. Lyth was bowling well going for six in his third over. Moores leg glanced Plunkett (4 0 26 0) for four, 10 off his last over. Moores hit Lyth (4 0 23 1) for six over extra cover, 132 for two off 16 overs. Moores smashed the returning Willey for four through extra cover. Then two wides. Moores then found the mid wicket boundary as the Tyke fans headed for the exits, 15 off the over. Hales found the ropes once more off Fisher, seven off the over. Moores hit Willey for six over mid wicket and then repeated the shot next ball as Notts got home with 6 balls unused.
Hales had successfully seen Notts to their target and Moores had finished the job with a flurry.
Somerset at Taunton await in the quarters. 15.00 Sunday 26th August the date. MAG
Presumably Harry, Junior Moores is fit as no 2nd keeper named in squad, but, guess if not, Riki boy would deputise and either Fraine or Coggers brought in as extra batting option. Tykes improved their NRR after thrashing lowly Northants,but as you state, with no real rain threat luckily makes nil difference to us, all we have to do is win the game. Bet Princess Leia is hoping for an Indian batting unit with a bit of character at the Home of Cricket that doesn't get wrapped up inside 3 days ?
ReplyDeleteA hard sell for the blessed princess, no corporate marketability owing to a Saturday start. She'll have to tap into that new audience that everyone is banking on for cricket's future; the little girls and families from the Indian sub-continent originally - those are her demographic groups.
DeleteIs it a good thing or a bad thing that Notts aren't mentioning Moores' injury?
DeleteYes, Dave heard something on SKY regarding that, the ONLY slight sticking point is that the BCCI will not let their superstar players actually play in our new 100 b���s up comp, which seems a strange marketing gaffe? After all the hoo hah off the park, would be great to see Baz(as the lads call him) produce a biggy that propels us to a total they just cannot chase down. Also, last years MVP normally produces in front of the cameras with either bat or ball, but may get only a limited chance will the willow, assuming we keep the same batting order?
DeletePresumably the All Stars program is awash with little British Asians that will playing in these eight Frankenstein teams in a decade or so's time, in the mean time they are the new audience - or is that not the business plan.
DeleteA tie is no good to either Notts nor Yorkshire so is unlikely to play out - even less so than in normal circumstances.
DeleteThat's a very interesting point, Dave, I had not thought of that as being their long term vision in terms of the 8 Frankensteiners. I'm not sure who they are targeting in the meantime as currently British Asians do not watch domestic cricket, only their National sides when playing on English grounds, generally speaking. The Foxes attracted a gathering when Virender Sehwag played for them, but I personally, think it's a strange target audience when the top Indian players in particular will not be alllowed to play in the new nightmare on Colin Graves Street production
DeleteYes I was equally surprised when Lisa P highlighted that group as part of the target "new supporters".
DeleteBritish Asians teenagers I've spoken to generally have little interest in cricket or say "my dad watches the IPL on telly but I think it's boring".
Willey tried in vain to STOKE the Vikings, but all they could muster in the end was a minor shower, when we had the bonus of some unexpected Hale?
ReplyDeleteI shouted to Mullaney from the SKY pod why he was taken off after bowling just the one over and he said "They don't want me bowling to a short leg side boundary"
ReplyDelete