Worcestershire Rapids Vitality T20 Blast S/F at Edgbaston Loss

OUTLAWS FAIL TO CLOSE OUT A "CERTAIN VICTORY"

Players clueless or chasing individual glory?

Peter Moores told the members earlier this week “He could feel the pain” as defeat followed defeat is this truly annus horribilis. Well two more tragedies have unfolded since. Firstly we had a defeat following a first innings score of 498 and then this once where Notts failed to complete a victory needing 49 off 7 overs with nine wickets left making a total dog's breakfast of what should have been a routine run chase. 

The pain is two-fold, firstly that which is afflicted to the Notts faithful and secondly the pain in the ribs to all the opposition fans that cannot stop laughing at us as one calamity after another has occurred.


"Match winner!"

At a sun drenched Edgbaston, everything unravelled once Hales was out for what should have been a match winning 52 (49 balls, 4x4, 2x6). Notts suddenly failed to find the ropes and were suddenly dealing with singles, scoring 23 off 4 overs. Christian hit Parnell for a leg side six in the 18th over bowled by Parnell in an over which cost 15. 

Clueless

Notts needed 11 off 2, but realistically it was 10 off 2 as they had lost fewer wickets (the tie breaker). Then panic set in as both Christian and Moores holed out to Brown, there followed a ridiculous run out of Mullaney. Seven now needed off the last over bowled by Parnell with two Test batsman at the crease but Patel and Duckett could only manage five as...

Notts snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. 

Tie-breaker 

Patel wanted two off the penultimate ball as he hit the ball to left of the boundary fielder at backward point as he knew that tied scores were sufficient to gain victory. Unfortunately Duckett appeared not to know the rule and elected to keep strike. The last ball was a Yorker and with the keeper standing up no bye could be attempted. Notts batting had flopped for umpteenth time in 2019. Worcester had bowled superbly on a sub standard pitch; no extra had been given away compared to 11 by Notts including 4 separate wides by Gurney. Moeen Ali won the man of the match award following a rapid 21 with three sixes with 4 0 13 1 with the ball. Worcester had been restricted to 147 for 9 with Whiteley on 36 and Wessels on 34. Carter was the leading bowler with three for 32. It was shame with the pitch taking so much spin that Imad Wasim was unavailable.

Notts won the toss and elected to field. Without Imad unavailable, Mullaney made his seasonal T20 debut. Clarke after his twin tons In the week came in for Libby. Clarke somewhat unbelievably did not even get to crease as the final act unfolded.

Carter v Moeen
Nine came off the first over bowled by Wood (City End). Rutherford fell to a catch a cover by Hales off Carter ,for 5, 10 for one. Moeen launched Carter for a straight six and with another six over long on, 13 off the over. Wood conceded 10 off the third over. Gurney came on as Moeen hit his third six, once again over long on, eight off the over. Carter switched ends and Moeen (21) lost his off stump attempting a sweep, 40 for two. Wood conceded nine in the last over off the power play, 54 for two.

Patel conceded two plus a leg bye in over seven. Mullaney went for five singles in the next over. Over nine bowled by Patel went for seven. Parnell (15) hit Mullaney for six but he departed in the same over giving a swirling chance to Christian at mid off, 76 for three after 10 overs.

Ben Cox lasted two balls being caught behind by Moores off Christian for one, 78 for four, Christian conceding four. Patel went for nine in the twelfth over. Wessels was bowled leg stump by Mullaney for 34 (38 balls – 3x4), 89 for five; Mullaney going for three singles. Carter returned and D'Oliviera charged him but missed and was bowled for seven, 91 for six, three off the over. 

Direct hit!

Ed Barnard was run out by a direct hit by Clarke in the covers, Harry Gurney the bowler, 97 for seven. The 100 came up in the 16th over bowled by Carter, the off spinner being hit for a straight six by Whiteley, Carter 3 for 32 off his four overs. Whiteley hit Mullaney (4 0 32 2) for six over mid wicket, then a four through the covers and followed it with a straight six, 17 off the over. Next over bowled by Gurney went for seven. Wood went for five off the 19th over. Whiteley was caught on the cover ropes by Wood off Gurney for a 24 ball 36, 140 for eight. Mitchell (13) hit Gurney overturned mid wicket for 6 but fell next ball to a swirling a catch to Christian at extra cover . Worcester 147 for nine after 20 overs. 

Notts had bowled and fielded well.

In the reply, three came off Moeen's first over. Nash hit Parnell for a straight four. He followed it up with a mid wicket boundary and then a four through extra cover. The last ball went for six over mid wicket, 18 off the over. Hales hit Morris for a straight six., 29 for 0 after 3 overs. Over four bowled by Pat Brown from the City End went for four. Hales hit Morris for two off side fours, 11 off the over. Hales hit Brown for an extra cover boundary. Nash was caught low down at square leg by Mitchell off Barnard for 24. Notts 52 for one after six overs.

Notts well set
Moeen went for three singles off the seventh over. Next over Mitchell went for five singles. Duckett switched hit Barnard for four. Hales stroked Barnard for a straight six, 15 off the over. Duckett swept D'Oliviera for four. Notts 83 for one after 10 overs.

Hales 50

Brown went for three singles and then the same for Moeen, 89 for one off 12 overs. Hales cover drove Brown for four. Two came off the next ball. Hales 50 off 39 balls. Everything was going so well…. ten off the over.

Let the drama commence. Hales was caught behind by Cox off Moeen for 52 off 42 balls, 100 for two. Moeen 4 0 13 1, all 13 singles. Wayne Parnell conceded four singles 107 for two off 15 overs. Mitchell conceded just six off over 16 including a swept four for Duckett. Barnard was then swept for four by the left hander, nine off the over., 122 for two off 17 overs. 

The match was now more even but Notts were in the box seats.

Parnell was greeted with a leg side six by Christian. A single, then a scooped four from Duckett, 15 off the over. Twelve balls remained, Outlaws effectively needing just 10 more runs.

Clueless or looking for individual glory?

Christian went for a lofted drive off Pat Brown but that man Moeen held an excellent catch above his head at mid off, 137 for three. Moores surprisingly sent in ahead of the in-form Clarke was caught at long on by Wessels off Brown for one, 139 for four. Moores had made two ducks on Finals Day in 2017, Mullaney was run out without facing a ball going for impossible two, 140 for five. Patel got a single off the last ball of the over.

"Duckett throws game"

Notts needed seven off the 20th over bowled by Parnell who gone for 37 runs in 3 overs. He started with a dot ball, then a single for Patel. Duckett then got a two and a single. Fletcher came running onto to the pitch presumably to explain the tie break rules. Then Patel should have attempted a two hitting the ball wide of the fielder on the backward ropes, but Duckett quite staggeringly sent him back. With the keeper standing up Notts needed two to win and one for a super over. Duckett failed to get a run, cue mass celebrations from disbelieving Worcester team and supporters. Duckett 49 not out off 42 balls (5x4) had failed to close out the match. 

 The result put the tin lid on the worst season in living memory. Just one more match to go at The Oval on Monday.

Good-bye and good luck to Luke Wood

This match probably saw the last appearance in a Notts shirt for Luke Wood, who has put his heart and soul into the club for the last six season. Always a fan’s favourite who could relate to his 100% effort he put in every time he set foot onto the pitch. The move to Lancashire seems a good one. First Division cricket with a team with proper ambition and a very good coaching structure in place. Who would bet against him not following Hutton and Milnes in taking 50 championship wickets in a season. Good luck to him. These three players should have never been allowed to leave the club. They are Notts lads through and through and would have created a very close knit dressing akin to Worcester, Essex, and Somerset. After all, it’s team spirit and togetherness that wins cricket matches! MAG

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