Lancashire Lightning Vitality T20 Blast at Trent Bridge Win REPORT

 

CLARKE BALLISTIC BEST AFTER A RESTRICTIVE SQUEEZE

Notts beat Lancashire by six wickets with three overs to spare tonight to go clear at the top of the Northern Section after a very professional performance. With Lancashire 65 for one at the end of the power play, the visitors looked like they were heading for a high total, but they were squeezed mid innings by Patel, Imad and Mullaney restricting Lightning to 55 runs off the nine overs after the power play. They finished on a score of 167 for 5, on a wicket where scoring was more difficult when pace was taking off the ball. Notts lost Nash to the third ball of the reply, but Man of the Match Joe Clarke played a blistering innings reaching 50 in 18 balls, Danny Lamb conceding 27 in his only over as he dominated a second wicket stand of 82 in seven overs with Alex Hales. When Clarke was eventually out caught on the ropes for 77 off 36 balls (7x4,5x6) the game was all but over. It was left to Moores and Christian to add 35 in 3.3 overs to see Notts over the line in what turned out to be a comfortable victory.

An unchanged Notts won the toss and elected to field on a sunny but chilly evening. Imad (Pavilion End) bowled two wides in the first over which cost 12, including an offside four for Davies. Ball bowled over two and conceded 10 including two further boundaries for Davies, the second via a thick edge. Livingstone launched Fletcher for six into the Fox Road Stand; next ball a full toss was crashed for a four through extra cover; another full toss was hit for four through backward point, 16 from the over. Imad conceded just three singles in the fourth over. Christian's first ball was smashed for six by Livingstone into the Hound Road. Two balls later Davies (18) departed to a catch low down at mid wicket by Mullaney who took the catch at the second attempt, 48 for one. Christian went for 10 off his first over. Jennings and Livingstone hit boundaries off Ball's second over. Lancashire 65 for one at the end of the power play.

Off Patel's second ball, Livingstone (33) skied the ball and Imad took the catch at backward point, 65 for two, three off the over. Mullaney went for six singles in his first over. There was a long stoppage as Jennings had to call Davies as his runner due to leg injury, this was to further add to Lancashire’s lost of momentum. Patel also conceded six singles in the ninth over. Jennings hit Mullaney for four in an over which cost eight runs, 88 for two after 10 overs.

Imad conceded four singles in the 11th over. Jennings hit Christian (2-0-19-1) for a leg side four, nine off the over. Jennings (33) perished hoisting Patel to Ball on the wide long on ropes, 101 for three after 12.1 overs. Patel conceding five off the over. Vilas hit Mullaney for a leg side four, nine off the over. Patel's (4-0-19-2) last over went for five, 120 for three off 15 overs. Lancashire had been severely squeezed mid innings.

Croft hoisted Mullaney (4-0-31-0) for six over deep mid wicket, eight off the over. Imad (4-0-23-0) conceded four off his last over. Croft hit Fletcher for a leg side four. Off the fifth ball, Vilas hit Fletcher for six over extra cover, 15 off the over. Vilas brought up the 50 partnership with Croft with an offside six off Ball. Croft (37) top edged Ball (3-0-33-1) to Nash who took a well judged catch at short third man, 155 for four, nine off the over. Christian backed Fletcher to bowl the last over and he had Vilas leg before for 31 off the first ball of the last over, 156 for fIve. Lamb ramped Fletcher (3-0-42-1) for four. Bad fielding by Christian on the mid wicket ropes gifted Lancashire a four, 11 off the over. Lancashire 167 for five off 20 overs Lamb 10 not out and Bohannon 1 not out.

Nash (2) fell to the third ball of the Notts innings tamely hitting Croft (Pavilion End) to substitute fielder Rob Jones in the covers, 2 for one. Hales hit a boundary through point, seven off the over. Slow left armer Tom Hartley bowled the second over and Hales cut him to the point ropes, 12 for one off two overs. Clarke greeted Luke Wood with a four through mid wicket. A poor ball from Wood was whipped away towards the square leg ropes by Clarke, 11 off the over. Clarke clubbed Bailey’s first ball for a straight four. Two balls later Hales blasted him for four over the mid wicket ropes, next ball Hales inside edged the Prestonian to the boundary, 13 off the over and Bailey was not given another go by captain Vilas. Clarke hit Hartley for a straight six. Two balls later Clarke hit a boundary through backward point, 11 off the over. Lamb was slaughtered in the sixth over. He was hit for four through point by Clarke and followed it up with a six over mid wicket. Third ball another four followed through extra cover. Clarke hit the fourth ball for a massive six over extra cover. Clarke hit another six over mid wicket off ball five to bring up his 50 off 18 balls. A single off the last ball meant 27 off the over. Notts 74 for one off six overs.

Clarke hit Parkinson for a leg side four, nine off the leg spinner’s over. Livingstone who bowled outstandingly with figures of 4-0-13-2 got the second wicket spinning one past Hales (19 off 17 balls) and removing his leg stump, 84 for two off 7.3 overs. Just two off the over. Duckett hit a free hit from Wood (2-0-30-0), having an unhappy return, for a leg side four. He repeated the shot next ball as Bailey slipped in the dewy outfield. Clarke finished the over with another leg side six, 19 off the over. Livingstone conceded four off the 10th over, Notts 108 for two.

Duckett was caught at square leg for 18 off Parkinson , 115 for three, seven off the 11th over. Livingstone then conceded five off his third over. Moores cut Parkinson for an offside four, a straight six into the Pavilion followed next ball, 13 off the over. Clarke (77 off 36 balls) was caught on the long off ropes by substitute Rob Jones off Livingstone, 134 for four. Livingstone went for two off his fourth over. Moores clubbed Hartley for six over long on, 142 for four off 15 overs. Christian on 3 was dropped by Jones at long off, the ball going for four, Parkinson (4-0-42-1) the bowler. The next ball went for a huge straight six, 13 off the over. Hartley (4-0-37-0) was hit for six over mid wicket by Moores. A four through backward point by Christian saw Notts home with three overs to spare. Notts 169 for four off 17 overs, Moores on 31 (19 balls including three sixes) and Christian on 20.

Notts, the only team to have two overseas players in this year’s Blast, look an excellent T20 team and clearly respond to Christian’s hands on captaincy. Significantly Clarke and Duckett are now very much stepping up to the plate and are not only scoring more consistently but winning games; which bodes well for the future. MAG