Middlesex Vitality T20 Blast Q/F at Trent Bridge Win

OUTLAWS ROMP TO EMPHATIC VICTORY 

with Middlesex overwhelmed

Notts thrashed Middlesex by 10 wickets with 22 balls unused, to canter to Twenty 20 finals day in 15 days time at TB last night. Carter (2 for 16) and Imad (2 for 31) reduced Middlesex to 43 for four in the 7th over, including removing key man A B de Villiers for 11. The visitors recovered to a respectable 160 for eight as Eoin Morgan blasted 53 off 31 balls (1x4, 4x6) with Gurney conceding 44 in four overs. When Notts batted, Hales and man of the match Chris Nash knocked off the runs in 16.2 overs with 76 runs coming in the power play. Hales finished on 83 off 47 balls (7x6,6x4) and Nash appearing in only his second T20 game for Notts hit 74 off 53 balls (10x4, 1x6). Middlesex bowled poorly and their fielding was ragged dropping three catches in the deep (Hales on 47 and 56 and Nash on 31) but Notts thoroughly deserved their victory.

Notts won the toss and elected to field; Nash made his seasonal T20 debut replacing Clarke and Wood came in for Fletcher. Stirling hit Wood's second ball leg for four, five off the over. Carter came on for the second over from the Radcliffe Road End; the over featured a single, a leg bye and four byes. Six came off the third over bowled by Luke Wood. Paul Stirling (11) was caught at deep mid wicket by Libby off Carter, 17 for one. A wild swing and miss saw Malan (2) bowled by Carter, 19 for 2 off 4 overs, Middlesex struggling. Eight came off Imad's first over including a boundary for Eskinazi. Gurney went for 14 with boundaries for Eskinazi and de Villiers, 41 for two after six overs.

Key Moment

Then the key moment, AB de Villiers (11) was caught at deep square leg by Duckett off Imad, 43 for 3. Next ball Eskinazi was caught by Moores off Imad for 13. Carter conceded nine including a streaky four for Simpson. The ninth over bowled by Wood went for nine runs. Carter's last over went for four to finish with 4 0 16 2, 66 for four after 10 overs.

Morgan hit Patel for six over extra cover, 13 off the over. Simpson was dropped on 22 by bowler Christian, a difficult chance above his head, four off the over. A full toss from Patel was hit for six by Morgan over mid wicket. Simpson (25) was caught at long on by Hales off Patel, 90 for 5 in the 13th over. Christian conceded 10 off the 14th over. Patel 2 0 23 1 never bowled again. The fifth wicket had added 47 in 5.4 overs. Imad conceded six including an edged four for Roland-Jones, 109 for five off 15 overs. 

Gurney went for seven in the 16th over. Roland-Jones hit Imad for six into the Fox Road Stand, 14 off the over. Imad 4 0 31 2. Morgan hit Gurney for a straight six to bring up the 50 partnership with Roland-Jones in 5 overs; next ball went for six over square leg, as Morgan reached 50 off 30 balls. Morgan (53 off 31 balls) departed next ball skying Gurney to Nash at backward point, 148 for 6, and 18 off the over. Roland-Jones (26) holed out to Duckett at deep mid wicket off Wood (4 0 27 1), 155 for seven after 19 overs. Helm (5) was caught at long on by Hales off Gurney, 158 for 8. Middlesex closed on 160 for eight. The visitors had recovered well and the score looked about par. Notts’ fielding was the best we had seen all tournament. Would Notts often jittery in the chase, hold their nerve?

Outlaws hound the Afghan in the Powerplay

Nash hit Mujeeb Zadran's first ball for four through mid wicket. Hales then deposited the 18 year old Afghan into the Fox Road, a four followed through the covers, 16 off the over. Six came off the second over, bowled by Roland-Jones from the Radcliffe Road End. Nash hit Helm for a leg side four and then followed it with a leg side six. A four through mid wicket followed, 15 off the over. Mujeeb Zadran returned and Hales hit him for a straight six and next ball a four through the covers, then a four through fine leg, 52 for 0 after four overs. Mujeeb two overs for 31. Hales hoisted Roland-Jones for a straight six into the Pavilion. Nash found the mid wicket ropes, 66 for 0 off 5 overs. 

Game slips away through Middlesex fingers

Nash was dropped on 31 by Finn running round from deep mid on off Helm, an easy chance. Hales completed the power play with a four through the covers, Notts 76 for 0 after six overs. The game was as good as over.

Nash hit Nathan Sowter for four through backward square, six off the over. Nash pulled Finn for 4. Next ball, Nash got another four through point. Hales then hit Finn for six over mid wicket, 16 off the over. Notts got to 100 in the ninth over via a single for Hales off Sowter. Nash got to his 50 off 30 balls and next ball Hales was dropped on 47 by Roland-Jones at deep mid wicket off Sowter. Nash edged Mujeeb Zadran for four and then got a four through third man. Notts 112 for 0 off 10 overs.

Hales got to his 50 off 26 balls with a single off Sowter. The leg spinner then was hit for a mid wicket boundary by Hales, seven off the over. Mujeeb Zadran then conceded two runs. Hales was dropped on 56 by Eskinazi at long leg off Roland-Jones, five off the over. Hales hit Sowter for six over mid wicket. Nash then hit Sowter for four over extra cover, 14 off the over. Helm then conceded six runs. Finn was hit for off side six into the Fox Road by Hales, then next ball a leg side four. Helm was hit for an enormous six by Hales over mid wicket to clinch the game amongst wild celebrations at 2130. The unbroken stand of 165 for the first wicket was a Notts record beating the 126 added by Hales with Wessels against Durham at Trent Bridge which featured a 30 ball 95 from Hales who now heads briefly to Barbados and the CPL. The recall of the cool and experienced head of Chris Nash had proven to be fully justified. MAG

Outlaws' Squad

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

Outlaws enter the knock-out stages of this year's Blast with:

• no momentum as we stumbled over the line
• no settled side, seemingly vindictively cutting Luke Wood at the faintest opportunity
• no batsman is yet consistently timing the ball, the wicket at Trent Bridge being "broken" from the World Cup and in an attempt to find a winning formula in the Championship; no wonder they tried their best to lose against Durham to get an away tie, only be scuppered by Steelbacks beating Rapids

So our opposition are the perennial under-achievers of the South, Middlesex, who we've never faced before in this format because of their regular lack of progression from the group stage.

This year, Middlesex have splashed the cash and brought in T20 "royalty" in the guise of AB de Villiers. 

The Top drawer T20 "specialists" don't stop there either:

They have the services of England World Cup winning captain and another member of the Worldwide T20 "royalty", Eoin Morgan and England Test and ODI Internationals Steven Finn, Dawid Malan, Toby Roland-Jones and an Australian UK qualified T20 specialist Nathan Sowter. Add to those, Notts' often Nemesis John Simpson and an England Lion who actually shows promise, Tom Helm.

After the Middlesex side carried off a record Blast run chase on Friday at Taunton, to qualify and to ditch Somerset out (what a shame), they do have the momentum and feeling of invincibility and will be favourites.

But Outlaws are running hot and cold in different games this season, so after such an all round pathetic ice cold performance against Durham, hopefully they will be smouldering red-hot on Thursday.