Leicestershire Foxes Vitality T20 Blast Q/F at Trent Bridge Win REPORT

 

OUTLAWS ESCAPE WITH COUNTBACK WIN AFTER TIE


as Samit holds his nerve whilst Foxes let victory slip



Notts reached Finals day at Trent Bridge after extremely fortuitous victory over a battling Leicestershire Foxes team who were let down by two howlers on the very dewy field in the closing stages. Samit Patel with a little help from Imad Wasim somehow managed to score 16 off the last seven deliveries. 

An unchanged Notts won the toss and elected to bowl. Leicestershire struggled to 22 for 3 off 6.1 overs as Notts bowled well up front. Ackermann (43) and Swindells (58) provided the best batting of the night by adding 66 in eight overs to bring Leicester back in the contest with Lewis Hill scoring 17 near the end Leicester got to 139-7, a score which looked below par. 

Rusty

Too many Notts batsmen looked rusty after the 11 day layoff. Hales having a poor tournament (173 runs @19.22) particularly against slow left armers fell to the best ball of the night bowled by Parkinson. Clarke was by far the most fluid of the Notts batsman scoring 35 (3x4,3x6) but after he fell with Notts 58-2 off eight overs, the home side completely lost their way. 

Nash Poor

Nash who has barely timed the ball since the first two games had put undue pressure of the Notts batting line up by scoring 17 off 26 balls including a whopping 13 dot balls. Nash was second victim in successive balls to Gavin Griffiths (4-0-21-3). Christian (5 off 13 balls) also struggled on the grudging surface as he and Tom Moores fell in successive deliveries to Ackermann. When Mullaney(7) fell off the fifth ball off the penultimate over bowled by Griffiths it looked that the game was up on Notts. But Lilley inexplicitly turned a single into four off the next ball on the mid wicket ropes. While the wily Patel was still there Notts had a chance and after a single for Imad he produced the shot of the night with a glorious six over wide long off, Will Davis the bowler. Notts knew if they did not lose another wicket they only needed to tie the game to win on count back and therefore needed three runs off the last two balls. Patel though could only get a single off the fifth ball. 

"Eine kleine Nachtmusik"

Imad played the last ball to Klein at mid on, but somewhat he failed to gather the ball and Notts got the two they needed. All the Leicester fielders sank to the floor in disbelief as Notts had achieved a most undeserved victory. Patel was named man of the match for his 28 not out off 16 balls (3x4,1x6) and 4-0-33-1 with the ball. Patel always the man for the pressurised situation.

Imad (Pavilion End ) conceded just a single off the first over. Welch pulled Patel's first ball to the boundary. Delany fell for a five ball duck losing his off stump to a delivery that turned slightly by Patel, 6 for 1. Six runs coming off the second over. The third over was a wicket maiden, Ball bowled four dot balls and the frustrated Lilley holed out off the toe of his bat to Hales at mid off, 7 for two. Three runs came off the fourth over as Welch was hit on the helmet from a faster ball from Christian. Three runs also came off the fifth over bowled by Imad. The shackles came off as Ackermann hit Ball for a leg side six. Leicester 22 for two at the end of the power play. Little did we know how crucial this score would turn out to be come 2100 hours.

Mullaney picked up a wicket with his first ball, Welch (12) chipped the ball and was caught at deep mid wicket by Duckett, 22 for three, four runs coming off the seventh over. Seven runs came off the next over bowled by Patel. Mullaney conceded two singles off the ninth over. Swindells hit Christian for an off side boundary, Leicester 42 for three off 10 overs.

Leicester came back hard though scoring 46 off the last four overs. Ackermann hit Patel for a six off extra cover and then later in the over a floaty full toss was dispatched to the ropes, 13 off the over. Ackermann then attacked Mullaney (3-0-17-1) hitting him for a six over mid wicket, 11 off the over plus a leg bye. Swindells hit Imad to the off side ropes and then Ackermann hit Imad for a straight four, 11 off the over. Swindells hit Christian for a leg side four. Ackermann survived a run out attempt by Christian who missed the stumps after the captain was sent back. The over finished for a four by Swindells, 10 off the over. Carter dismissed Ackermann (43) with his first ball caught at short fine leg by Nash, 88 for four. Five off Carter’s solitary over. Hill swept Patel (4-0-33-1) for four, eight off the over including a leg bye. Hill hit Imad (4-0-28-0) for a leg side four and then Swindells repeated the shot, 13 off the over. Swindells hit Ball for a leg side four, nine off the over. A slower ball from Christian had Hill leg before for 17, 124 for five. A very lucky wicket the ball clearly missing off stump, it was first of a trimuviate of clangers by the umpires which all favoured Notts. Ball at long leg dropped Mike on 0 a skier under the lights, but Mike (2) fell next ball as a slower ball from Christian (4-0-24-2) went straight to Imad in the covers, 126 for six. A slower delivery from Ball (4-1-30-2) was straight driven for four by Swindells who then hit him to the ropes through off side. Swindells (58 off 43 balls – 8 fours) fell to a catch on the long on ropes by Hales, 135 for seven. The last two balls were hit for two as Leicester closed on 139 for seven having added 97 runs off the final 10 overs to give them a glimmer.

Three runs came off the first over bowled by Parkinson (Radcliffe Road End). Nash hit a short ball from Ackermann through the covers for four. Three balls later he swept Ackermann for four, 11 for none off two overs. Hales hit Parkinson for a boundary through backward point. Hales then edged the slow left armer for four. Parkinson bowled a jaffa as a ball that pitched on leg and knocked out Hales ' (9) middle stump for nine, 19 for one off three overs. Just two singles came off the fourth over bowled by Dieter Klein. Clarke hit Parkinson for six over mid wicket but the following five balls were dot balls. Clarke inside edged a four off Klein but then smashed a four through long off. Clarke hit Klein for six into The Randall Stand, 15 off the over. Notts 42 for one off six overs. Advantage Notts.

Clarke cut leg spinner Delany (1-0-8-0) to the backward point ropes. Next over he pulled Ackermann for a six. Clarke (35) perished caught on the long on ropes by Griffiths off Ackermann, 58 for two off eight overs. The game started to turn. Duckett (3) missed a leg stump hit and lost his leg stump to Griffiths, 62 for three off nine overs. Five came off the tenth over bowled by Ackermann. Nash (17 off 26 balls) who were completely bogged down chipped Griffiths to Ackermann at mid on, 67 for four. Griffiths conceding three off his second over. Moores pulled Lilley for four and swept him to the ropes and then finished it with a straight lofted four, 14 off the sole over from the former Lancashire player. Moores hit Griffiths for four through backward point. Moores should have fallen leg before for 21, ball tracker having the ball hitting leg stump, Grim Tim the offending umpire. Six off the 13th over. Christian on 2 should have been out the following over leg before to Davis, four off the over including a leg bye. Parkinson (4-0-21-1) conceded four off his last over, 98 for four off 15 overs. Christian (5) fell to catch on the mid wicket ropes by Davis off Ackermann, 99 for five. Next ball, Moores lost his off stump for 26, 99 for six. Mullaney hit Ackermann (4-0-27-3) through the covers for four, six off the over.

Klein (3-0-21-0) conceded five from the 17th over as new batsmen Mullaney and Patel could not time the ball. Patel inside edged Davis for four, 117 for six off 18 overs. Patel hit Griffiths second ball for four through long on. Mullaney (7) was caught at deep mid wicket by Lilley off Griffiths (4-0-21-3). A misfield by Lilley let Patel gain a fortuitous four, 127 for seven off 19 overs. If Notts did not lose a wicket in the last over, they knew they needed a further 12 runs as both teams had lost seven wickets but Notts would go through on their superior score at the end of the power play (42-1 versus 22-2). Imad hit his first ball from Davis for a single . A dot ball followed and then a straight two for Patel. Patel hit Davis (3-0-22-0) over wide long off for six. Patel then got a single. Imad needed two off the final ball and got them as Klein made a dreadful error at wide mid on somehow failing to cling on the ball on the very wet outfield and handing the game to Notts on a plate. Notts 139 for seven (Patel 28 not out and Imad 3 not out) had somehow got over the line.

The forecast for Saturday suggests a monster deluge in Birmingham and it’s not much better for Sunday so how the four teams will manage to conjure a winner is any one’s guess.

Cricket in October is extremely rare in England the last recorded instance in first-class cricket being on 6,7 and 8 October 1864 when a combined Notts and Kent eleven lost to Cambridge and Yorkshire by an innings and 4 runs at Newmarket. The going was apparently good to firm. MAG

Scored the runs in the Powerplay that ulimately won the game

CAN OUTLAWS DUMP THEIR BOGEY?

The last time Notts played Leicestershire, it was the Foxes that ran away with a hard fought victory courtesy of a load of gift extras and a controversial umpiring call; nevertheless the result serves as a stark reminder that nothing can be taken for granted in the short format game and that Leicestershire often appear to be Notts' bogey side.

The last time the two teams met at Trent Bridge however, Outlaws won with five overs to spare

Following the extended break since the Durham win, it remains to be seen if Nash and Fletcher are fit and available again or if Peter Moores has another Quarter-Final surprise up his sleeve. Last year it was Chris Nash making his Outlaws T20 debut.

Squad News

Revealing little by announcing a squad of 14, a Peter Trego debut is still possible or perhaps a return for Lyndon James.

Alex Hales, Chris Nash, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Tom Moores, Dan Christian, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Imad Wasim, Matthew Carter, Jake Ball, Peter Trego, Lyndon James, Zak Chappell

6PM this evening, unluckily chosen by Sky to restrict access to those that would have been in attendance if it wasn't for a certain pandemic.

Those not a subscriber to "dish TV", could try searching Youtube for "live cricket" at 6PM- there will be several "Indian gambling" streams showing the live action - some might even have Sky's commentary - quality of these streams is mixed.