Northamptonshire Steelbacks RLODC at Wantage Road Win

SAMIT CARRIES OUTLAWS INTO THE SEMIS


Moores and Patel lead Notts to narrow win

A magnificent List A best of 136 not out off 124 balls (15 x 4, 1 x 6) from Samit Patel saw Notts come back from the dead at Wantage Road today and gain an enthralling one wicket victory. It was the eighth time in their history that Notts had won by a single wicket in a List A contest. The win ensured Notts topped the Northern Section and now have a home semi final to look forward to next Sunday. Notts having lost just a single game were deserved group winners.

There was a large away following taking advantage of free admission and this swelled the crowd to around 1,300. An under strength Northants posted 325 for seven with half centuries from Vasconcelos, Cobb, Keogh and Wakely. Notts’ best bowler was Samit Patel who took 2 for 51 and had two catches dropped off him. Northants batted well. The Notts fielding was once again disappointing with too many fumbles and misfields; this is one area Notts need to work on. Northants having fielded superbly throughout. Facing the large but achievable total, Notts got off to a bad start, losing Clarke, Nash and Duckett in the first seven overs. Duckett having damaged the webbing on his hand when fielding departed for a golden duck against his former team. Alex Hales looked in good nick until chopping on for 36. When Mullaney departed for 14 via an excellent catch by Sanderson Notts stood at 116 for five in the 25th over. Moores played himself in sensibly as Notts still had time to make the runs on the easy paced wicket. He then provided Notts with the impetus to achieve victory. He blasted 69 in 55 balls including four enormous straight sixes. Moores added 111 in 15 overs thrilling fashion with Patel; but when he departed caught right on the mid wicket ropes, Notts still needed 99 off 10.4 overs with 4 wickets left. Patel though then took over and with support from Fletcher and Pattinson he whittled it down to 33 off three overs, 23 off two overs and 12 off one over and calmly saw Notts home; Patel always at his best when the chips are down.

Northants won the toss and elected to bat. In the seventh over Levi was yorked by Fletcher for 9, 24 for one. Fletcher conceded fifteen off his fifth over, including a pulled six by Cobb. After four overs from the Wilson End by Carter, on came James Pattinson. Northants 54 for one after 10 overs. Vasconcelos and Cobb saw off Ball and Pattinson as the 100 came up in the 20th over. Cobb reached a run a ball 50 next over with a single off Patel, but then was dropped on 54 at mid wicket by Nash off Patel, a sitter. Vasconcelos got to 50 off 60 balls with a single off Mullaney in the 24th over. Vasconcelos was dropped by Mullaney at mid on when on 55 off Patel, a one handed chance to his right. Finally a wicket fell with Cobb (63 balls with 65 balls) holing out to Hales in front of the Pavilion at wide long off, Patel picking up the wicket, 141 for 2 in the 27th over. Vasconcelos attempting a reverse sweep was leg before to Patel for 74 off 78 balls (8 x 4), 160 for three in the 31st over. Northants 237 for three after 40 overs and accelerated well scoring 88 in the final power play. Wakely’s 50 came up in 38 balls. Pattinson struck in the 43rd over when Wakely (53 off 43 balls), was caught at mid wicket, skyIng to Hales. 256 for four. Next over, a four for Keogh off Carter brought up his 50 in 50 balls. Keogh departed 71 (off 60 balls with 8 fours) caught on the cover boundary by Patel off Ball, 296 for five in the 47th over. Hales took his third catch when Thurston (21) found him on the mid wicket ropes, Ball the bowler, 308 for 6 in the 49th over. Sole was bowled by Fletcher on 4, 321 for seven. Holland hit the last delivery to the boundary as Northants closed on 325 for seven.

Northants opened the bowling with Buck (Pavilion End) and Sanderson (Wilson End) and in the second over Sanderson bowled Clarke for seven, 19 for one. Buck took two wickets in successive balls in the 7th over; Nash (15) hit Buck straight to Levi at mid wicket. Ben Duckett fell first ball skying to Wakely at mid wicket, 39 for three. Notts added a further 14 before completing the first power play on 53 for three.

Procter replaced Buck from the Pavilion End and in his third over got Hales to play on. Hales 36 off 43 balls, 74 for four in the 15th over. Hales who hit six fours looked in fine form. Notts limped to 100 in the 21st over. A dreadful shot from Mullaney (14) saw him ramp the ball to short fine leg where Sanderson took a brilliant catch at short fine leg taking the ball running backwards over his shoulder, Holland the bowler, 116 for five in the 25th over.

A cut four for Patel off Cobb saw him to 50 off 61 balls but he was now playing second fiddle to the aggressive Moores. A straight four from Moores unfortunately ricocheted into a spectator’s nose in the Wilson End and she received urgent medical attention from Notts physio James Pipe who sprinted from the Notts dressing room. Moores hit two successive straight sixes off Holland in the 36th over to bring up his 50 off 43 balls. Procter returned and bowled Moores off a no ball. Next ball Moores hit the free hit over the sightscreen for six. The 100 partnership between Patel and Moores came up in 13 overs. Moores was caught right on the mid wicket ropes by Thurston off Sanderson for 69 (off 55 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes), 227 for six in the 40th over. Time now for Patel to lead the victory charge.

Fletcher making room to cut was bowled by Josh Cobb for 15, 261 for 7 in the 44th over. Patel was dropped on 92 off a very difficult caught and bowled chance by Buck. Cobb conceded 17 off the 46th over. Notts now needed 42 in 4 overs. Game on. A four through point off Buck saw Patel to his ton off 111 balls, nine off the over. Pattinson was well caught at long leg by Keogh off Sanderson for 15, 302 for 8 with 13 balls remaining. Carter (5) was bowled off the last ball of the 49th over by Buck, 314 for nine. Notts needed 12 off the last over bowled by Ben Sanderson. Samit hit the first ball for six over square leg, the cut the next ball for four and then hit winning four through point. Notts won by 1 wicket with three balls to spare. Jake Ball never had to face a ball. What a thrilling and memorable victory as Notts now await their semi final opponents with team confidence fully restored. Well done all. MAG



It's Community Day at Northampton, that's free entry to all for tickets reserved in advance.

Outlaws are likely to announce the same 14 to the one that had a paddle at Grantham, barring illness or a recovery to Ben Slater. Ben Duckett was only in the squad for the Ireland game and the IT20 with Pakistan, so theoretically he could be available for a return to Wantage Road.

The announced 14 man squad:

Joe Clarke
Chris Nash
Alex Hales
Ben Duckett
Jake Libby
Steven Mullaney
Tom Moores
James Pattinson
Luke Fletcher
Samit Patel
Matt Carter
Zak Chappell
Jake Ball
Luke Wood

Before this weekend's fixtures, in all first XI cricket 2019; Stuart Broad has bowled 56.4 overs whilst Jimmy Anderson has bowled 66 overs (and in Lancashire's last match on Saturday he bowled a further 9 overs)

Outlaws have already qualified for the play-offs, after Warwickshire beat Lancashire but a win will secure a home semi-final on Sunday 12th May. Where "home" would be is open to question; if the ECB/ICC have control over Trent Bridge 14 days before an ODI, they will certainly be twitchy just 5 days before the ODI with Pakistan. On the other hand they don't have a problem with Surrey playing at the Oval with only three days before an International, but I'm getting a head of myself here, Outlaws need to win to be sure of causing a dilemma in Lisa's office first.