Lancashire Lightning Vitality T20 Blast at Old Trafford Loss

OUTLAWS THROW IT AWAY

This was certainly a case of a game that should have been won by Notts who lost to Lancashire by three runs due to poor game management with both bat and ball. On a two paced pitch with long boundaries, Notts had Lancashire 25 for three at the end of the power play and 45 for four at ten overs. But backed by superb batting from man of the match Glenn Maxwell with skipper Dane Vilas and aided by the fact that Notts elected not to take pace off the ball for too many of the last 10 overs, Lancashire got to a defendable total of 151. Gurney and Chappell bowled too short and Notts paid the consequences. Notts much better at setting rather than chasing totals only needed 76 off the last 10 overs with seven wickets still standing. But with Vilas wisely sticking with his slow men, Hales, Moores and Patel threw their wickets away. Christian much better against pace than spin bravely hit three sixes off the penultimate over bowled by Mahmood, but needing 12 off the last over they could only score eight as Lancashire got home backed up by ground fielding superior to Notts earlier efforts.

Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat on a used pitch. Notts surprisingly dropped Libby in favour of Zak Chappell. It left a Notts crucially a batsman light on a surface which would have suited the nudge and nurdle of Libby. Chappell unfortunately had a poor game, doing nothing to justify his selection. 

Nottinghamshire got off to a superb start when Luke Wood (Pavilion End) removed Alex Davies playing onto his leg stump with the first ball of the innings. Off the fifth ball, more joy as Croft (1) lost his middle stump to the fired up Wood, 2 for 2. Carter bowled the next over and conceded four. Wood stayed on and Jennings hit Lancashire's first boundary, a shot through the covers, 14 for two off 3 overs. Imad picked up the third wicket as Livingstone (3) attempting a ramp shot lost his off stump, 14 for three off four overs, a wicket maiden for Imad. A single and a bye came off Wood's third over. Wood (3 0 10 2) very strangely never given his last over. Maxwell pulled Gurney for four, 23 for three at the end of the power play.

Three singles came off Patel's first over. Chappell bowled the eighth over and went for nine. Jennings charged down the pitch to Patel and was stumped for 16, 35 for four. Three singles off the over. Chappell conceded seven off the tenth over, 45 for four.

In over 11, Maxwell cover drove a poor ball from Patel to the ropes, eight off the over. Chappell was proving easy pickings, conceding 13 in the 12th over, with boundaries for Maxwell and Vilas. Imad conceded six. Vilas paddled Carter for four, 80 for four off 14 overs. 

A short ball from Gurney was pulled for four by Vilas, 11 off the over. Vilas swept Carter for four as the runs were flowing, 10 off the over number 16. Imad returned and conceded five singles. A switch hit for Maxwell off Gurney brought the Australian a boundary. Two balls later Maxwell repeated the shot, this time for a six, 122 for 4 off 18 overs. Poor fielding from Hales on the ropes gave Maxwell his 50 off Imad. Maxwell was gifted another four as Clarke lost the ball in the floodlights and Maxwell brought up the 100 partnership with a six, 20 off the over. Vilas departed leg before to Gurney for 46 off 36 balls. The fifth wicket had added 107 off 11 overs. Maxwell hit another four off Gurney but finally was dismissed caught at fine leg by Patel, Maxwell 73 off 46 balls (7x4,2x6). Faulkner got a boundary off the last ball, Lancashire 151 for 6 off 20 overs. 

Lancashire let off the hook

Notts had let Lancashire off the hook after outstanding bowling from Wood and the three spinners in the first half the innings. Chappell (3 0 29 0) and Gurney (4 0 42 2) both bowled disappointingly bowling too short on the two paced surface.

Clarke was leg before 0 playing back to a full length delivery to the first ball of the innings bowled by Gleeson from the Pavilion End. Hales hit a boundary through extra cover off the last ball, six off the over. Three came off the second over bowled by Mahmood. Faulkner came on for the third over and Duckett hit him for two fours, the first edged, 20 for one after three overs. Hales got a four off Gleeson through third man and then hit for another boundary, backward of square. Duckett departed in familiar fashion caught at mid off by Maxwell off Gleeson for 13, 29 for two. Patel on drove his first ball for four. Mahmood switched ends and Patel glided him for four through third man, six off the over. Patel punched Faulkner through the covers for four. Notts 46 for two at the end of the power play.

Hales swept Parkinson for four, eight off the over. A superb off side four by Patel off Livingstone was the highlight of the eighth over. Hales swept Parkinson for another boundary but going for a repeat shot, holed out to Maxwell on the square leg ropes for 29, 65 for three off 8.2 overs. Maxwell conceded seven as Notts stood at 76 for three after 10 overs. 

Another nine was gathered off Livingstone including a boundary for Patel. A leg side four from Moores greeted the return of Gleeson, nine off over number 12. Moores (18) mistimed an attempted straight six off Livingstone and was caught by Livingstone at wide long off, 96 for 4 off 13 overs.

 Patel was out for 34 skying Parkinson to Davies at deep extra cover, 99 for five after 15 overs. Imad was leg before to Livingstone for one, 101 for six. Livingstone 4 0 22 2. Maxwell conceded seven, as Notts now needed 42 off the last four overs. Wood was stumped by a country mile off Parkinson for five, 113 for seven. Parkinson 3 off 22 off his four overs. Faulkner then conceded six in the 18th over.

Notts needing some Christian faith

 Christian hit a full toss from Mahmood for a leg side six. Christian repeated the shot off the last two balls of an over costing 21 runs. Notts needed 12 off the last over bowled by Faulkner. Carter got an offside single off the first ball. Christian did the same next ball. Carter (4) was bowled off the third ball, losing his off stump, 142 for eight. 

Hapless end

The hapless Chappell was caught first ball at long on by Maxwell. Christian got two and then a four off the last ball. The skipper 41 not out off 24 balls (3x6,1x4). The home crowd went home happy trying to work out how they got over the line. 

Heavy rain started five minutes after the close as Lancashire top the table. Notts so good on paper have seven points from seven games. Doubts still remain about the fielding and their batting under pressure. There is still a long way to go and qualification should be obtained into the knock outs with this line up. Anything less would add to what already has been a very disappointing season. MAG







With less than 24 hours between games, will Outlaws look to use their wider squad, to look at conditions and play accordingly or will Peter stick with the winning XI?

The extended squad announced as:

Alex Hales
Joe Clarke
Ben Duckett
Tom Moores
Dan Christian
Jake Libby
Imad Wasim
Samit Patel
Luke Wood
Matt Carter 
Harry Gurney
Jake Ball
Zak Chappell
Chris Nash