Durham T20 Blast Chester le Street Win REPORT

 

JOE CLARKE TON AS OUTLAWS STROLL TO VICTORY BY THE RIVERSIDE

On a wretched dank, cold and windy day at the Riverside at Chester-le-Street, Notts cruised to a six wicket victory over Durham with 22 balls to spare in this Vitality Blast fixture. A total of 366 runs were scored during the contest at 10.07 RPO with 16 sixes.

The home team brought in Sean Dickson in to their line up for Mark Wood and looked to have posted a competitive score of 181 for three off 20 overs. Having lost Scott Steel early, former Tyke left hander Alex Lees and Graham Clarke added 105 in 11.1 overs before Lees fell to an outstanding diving catch by Chris Nash for 53 (44 balls, 3x4,2x6). Next over Clark fell for 60 (36 balls, 5x4, 3x6) as the introduction of Mullaney in the 12th over put a bit of brake on the Durham innings.  Mullaney who bowled overs 12, 14, 16 and 18 went for 15 in first three overs and then conceded 15 off his over as Carse and former Notts man Coughlin added 53 off the last 5.1 overs of the innings.

Notts needed just over nine an over, but the home side bowled very poorly on the slow pitch bowling consistently too short or too wide to make Notts task easier than it should have been. Man of the match Joe Clarke blasted an outstanding unbeaten 100 off 44 balls (7x4,8x6) getting to his milestone with a straight six off Trevaskis which also the winning hit as Notts won on the stroke of 1700. With Nash (55), Clarke added 105 in 8,3 overs as the Durham bowlers were flayed to all parts, Coughlin going for 35 off two overs.

The start was delayed by 15 minutes due to light rain. Durham won the toss and batted with a bitterly strong northerly wind for the bowlers to contend with. Chappell, Trego and Barber were left out of the final eleven.  

Patel bowled the first over from the Finchale End and conceded nine including a six over long off by Alex Lees. Ball went for four singles in the second over. Off the fourth ball of the third over, Scott Steel (4) drove Fletcher straight to Ball at mid off, 15 for one. Carter went for five in the fourth over. Graham Clark hit Ball for three boundaries in four balls in the fifth over. Fletcher conceded 10 off the sixth over, 44 for one at the end of the power play. 

Both Lees and Clark hit Carter (2-0-23-0) for wind assisted straight sixes in an over costing 18 runs, including a wide which the batsmen ran three, Carter did not bowl again. The 50 partnership for the second wicket came up in 31 balls. Patel conceded 12 off the eighth over including two boundaries. Christian brought himself on and went for 10, 84 for one off nine overs. Seven came off the tenth over bowled by Patel (3-0-28-0). Clark hit a massive six over mid wicket off Fletcher the ball ending up in the top tier of the County Durham Stand. Next ball Lees blasted another big six, this time over square leg, 17 off the over. Lees reached his 50 off 31 balls with a single off Mullaney and then Clark got to his half ton off 26 balls in the same over. Durham 112 for one off 12 overs. The 100 partnership came up in the 13th over bowled by Christian. Lees (53) slashed Mullaney to short third man where Nash pulled off a brilliant catch diving to his left, 120 for two, a key turning point of the match. Mullaney conceded eight off his first two overs. Clark clubbed Ball for four through mid wicket. Clark (60) trying to hit Ball over leg was bowled leg stump by the Welbeck Wizard, 128 for three off 14.5 overs.

Mullaney went for seven in the 16th over. Fletcher (4-0-35-1) conceded six off his last over. Carse hit Mullaney (4-0-30-1) for a straight six and then off his last delivery, Coughlin hit him for a six over square leg, 15 off the over. Coughlin hit Ball (4-0-35-1) for a boundary through point, 11 off the over. Carse hit Christian (3-0-28-0) for a straight four and then hooked him for four. Durham 181 for three off 20 overs, Carse 32 not out and Coughlin 22 not out. The game looked close at this point. 

Liam Trevaskis (Finchale End) bowling slow left arm bowled a long hop to Nash who hit him for an offside four, nine off the over. A short ball from Carse was pulled for four by Nash, 10 off the over. A half volley from Potts was driven for four through extra cover. Next ball, Hales (11) going for an attempted pull shot edged the ball and was at caught behind by Poynter, 23 for one. Nash hit Potts for leg side four, 30 for one off three overs. Clarke (8) hit Coughlin for six over mid wicket and next ball he was dropped by Graham Clark in the covers, a crucial drop. Nash then glided Coughlin for a leg side four and then an offside four, 18 off the over. Clarke hit Rimmington for four through extra cover to bring up the 50 off 4.1 overs. Two balls later, Clarke repeated the shot. Off the fifth ball, Clarke hit Rimmington for a six over mid wicket, 15 off the over. Clarke hit Potts for a straight six and then a boundary through backward point, 75 for one off six overs.

Carse conceded seven in the seventh over. Clarke pulled the returning Trevaskis for a boundary, nine off the over. A well pitched ball from Rimmington was for a six over long off by Clarke, 11 off the over. Clarke reached his 50 off 26 balls off Trevaskis. Nash hit the young spinner for four through third man, 112 for one off 10 overs. Notts were now in cruise control.

A short ball from Coughlin was hit to the square leg boundary by Nash. A full toss which was called a no ball was hit for six over mid wicket by the former Sussex man who reached his 50 off 27 balls. Nash was caught at backward point low down by Durham skipper Rimmington off Coughlin. Nash out for 55 off 29 balls (7x4, 1x6). Coupled with his stunning catch, Nash had well and truly justified his selection. Notts had added 105 for the second wicket, 128 for two. 

Scott Steel came on for the 12th over bowling off spin; Clarke pulled him away for a leg side boundary, nine off the over. Clarke hit Potts for three sixes in four balls over long on, mid wicket and long on again, 21 off the over. Ben Duckett (5) was caught low down at the short mid wicket by Trevaskis off Steel, 159 for three. Steel conceded three off the 14th over. Clarke lofted Rimmington for a square leg four. Moores (2) was bowled neck and crop going for an attempted slog off Rimmington, 168 for four. Carse conceded four off the 16th over. Clarke clubbed Trevaskis for four and then ended the game in the perfect fashion winning the game and reaching his ton with a six over wide long off. Notts 185 for four off 16.2 overs with Clarke 100 not out and Christian 3 not out. Notts had won their first competitive game since 5 September 2019 when they walloped Middlesex by 10 wickets in the T20 quarter final at Trent Bridge. Clarke had only previously hit one other T20 century (124 not out) ironically against Durham at New Road in July 2017. I lost count how many half trackers Durham bowlers sent down in an exceeding poor bowling effort.

Notts have fallen foul a few times up on the vast outfield at Chester-le-Street in T20 contests and will be well pleased with today's performance. Due to the relatively weakness due to international call ups of both the Red and White Rose Notts will, even at this very early stage, be confident of qualifying for the knockout stages of this completion. Next up for Notts, Yorkshire at Trent Bridge on Monday afternoon. MAG

This was the squad for the abandoned game on Thursday:

Alex Hales, Chris Nash, Ben Duckett, Tom Moores, Joe Clarke, Peter Trego, Dan Christian, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Matthew Carter, Luke Fletcher, Zak Chappell, Jake Ball, Tom Barber.