Derbyshire Falcons Vitality T20 Blast at County Ground Derby Tie No.3

 

Strange but true

On a night of Criminal Batting, Outlaws Get Out of Jail with a Third Tie, in a Game that They Could or Should Have Won if not for a Budinger blunder!

Outlaws: The Walking Dead or Lazarus?

Notts tied their third game of the season at a cold and dank Derby last night. As at Old Trafford on Sunday, Notts came back from the dead after posting an under par 137 on a two paced pitch which had pace and carry. After an excellent cameo from Clarke (36 off 16 balls), Notts slipped to 75 for 5 in the 10th over as they batted in a rather gung ho manner. Notts should have consolidated at this point, but not for the first time this season, Moores carelessly gave his wicket away in the 12th over. It meant the long tail had to bat for the last eight overs of the innings and when Mullaney (19 off 18 balls) departed with 22 balls remaining it was left to Carter and Ball to put on unlikely and valuable 27 for the last wicket to break the Notts 10th wicket partnership in the competition. Notts looked at least 20 under par. Off the back of Luis Reece who scored 51 (28 balls – 7x4, 2x6), Derbyshire raced to 57 without loss in the power play and stood at 68-0 off 7.4 overs, needing just 70 off 12.2 overs, it should have been an absolute cake walk but their lack of experience was exposed. Once again, Patel (4-0-17-2) stood up to the plate removing Reece’s off stump. Notts took wickets in the following three overs, through Mullaney, Carter and Ball. It was 4th wicket which was the key one as Du Plooy fell to bouncer from Ball which he top edged and Moores took a diving catch running towards third man, 75 for 4 in the 11th over. A great piece of bowling. Critchley with Guest batted sensibly running well between the wickets and eliminating risk. Derby 108 for 4 cruising with 28 needed off 29 balls. Guest fell to that man Patel. Hudson-Prentice joined Critchley and with most of main bowlers bowled out the last three overs were bowled by Harrison, who had not bowled all night, and Fletcher who had delivered a solitary over which cost 15 in the third over of the power play. The leg spinner held his nerve as Derby needed 10 off 14 balls with 4 wickets left. Harrison removed Hudson-Prentice and McKiernan with successive balls and Fletcher did the same in the 19th over, van Beek and McKiernan his victims. Derby nine down requiring nine off nine balls which became eight off the last over as last man Scrimshaw surprisingly took asingle off Fletcher’s last delivery. Three runs came off the first five ballsoff Harrison’s (2-0-9-2) over as the leg spinner impressively kept his cool. Notts were now favourites, however Sol Budinger was given a harsh lesson as poor fielding gifted Derby a four. Both teams 137-9 apiece.

Rocket start for Outlaws

Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bowl. Godleman had recently been dropped from the line up as Critchley took charge of a team that had surprisingly won at Edgbaston 24 hours earlier. Notts were unchanged.Van Beek bowled the first over from the City End and Clarke hit him for three successive fours through fine leg, extra cover and backward point. A wide followed and then two leg side fours through mid wicket and square leg, 21 off the over. Hales was out for a golden duck, losing his off stump to McKerr. Budinger after four dot balls, scored a single, two off McKerr's over including a wide. Budinger hit Hudson-Prentice for a straight six, 11 off the over. Clarke hit an aerial four through third man and next ball found the extra cover boundary, 11 off the over including a leg bye. Van Beek was smashed for a four through backward square leg by Clarke. He perished attempting the same shot caught by Wood off van Beek for 36, 51 for two. Duckett (0) miscued Hudson-Prentice and was caught at mid off by Reece, 53 for three. Budinger hit Hudson-Prentice to the point ropes, 58 for three off six overs.

Drop Karma?

Budinger was dropped by Came at deep square leg,the former Hampshire man throwing it for four. How ironic that Budinger was to do the same later. Budinger (21) was out next ball hitting Scrimshaw into orbit and du Plooy taking the catch, 63 for four. Moores hooked the last delivery for four, nine off the over. Moores switched hit Critchley for four, 5 off the eighth over. Scrimshaw conceded three off the following over. Patel was leg before to Critchley for three, 75 for five. Notts were 79 for five at the half way point.

Not for first time Moores gets it wrong

McKerr conceded four off the 11th over. Wood caught Moores at deep square leg off McKiernan, 85 for 6. A very poor shot considering going the game situation. Harrison was bowled first ball by leg spinner McKiernan, 86 for seven off 12 overs. Notts were sinking without trace,

10th Wicket Record

Scrimshaw conceded two off the 13th over. Mullaney hit McKiernan for four through wide third man. Fletcher (2), all at sea,skied to van Beek in the covers, the third wicket for McKiernan (2-0-9-3),94 for eight. Carter hit Scrimshaw (4-0-20-1), who bowled well with plenty of bounce and carry, through the covers for four, Notts 101 for eight off 15 overs. Critchley conceded three off the following over. Mullaney pulled van Beek for six. Next ball he skied to McKiernan in the covers to depart for 19, 110 for 9. Critchley conceded seven off the 18th over. Ball hit McKerr for six over mid wicket, 10 off the over. Carter pulled Hudson-Prentice to the ropes as the pair beat the previous record last wicket stand for Notts (24 by Carter and Gurney in the Taunton quarter-final in 2018). Notts 137 for nine off 20 overs with Ball on 18 and Carter on 15. It should not have been enough.

Reece assures a rapid but untroubled start

Fletcher dived over the ball at fine leg as Reece hit a delivery from Ball (City End) for four, six off the first over. Reece hit Carter to the cover ropes, 11 for 0 off 2 overs. Reece cover drove Fletcher for four and then hit him for four through mid wicket and then once again through the covers, 15 off the over. Patel conceded four off his first over. Reece top edged Ball to the boundary. Later in the over Reece straight drove Ball to the ropes. Reece then pulled Ball for six, 18 off the fifth over. Carter for the third this season conceded five wides. Derbyshire 57 for 0 after 6 overs.

Stand-up Samit Patel

Reece got 50 off 29 balls with a six over mid wicket off Mullaney, eight off the over. Reece was out for 51, bowled by the superb Patel, 68 for 1 off 8 overs. Came (11 off 18 balls) was caught at long off byBall off Mullaney, 68 for two. Mullaney went for a solitary single off the ninth over. Tom Wood on the reverse sweep went for one caught at short man by Budinger bowled Carter, 69 for three. Three off the Carter over, Derby 72 for 3 after 10 overs.

Critical wicket for Ball

Du Plooy went for 1, top edging Ball high behind the wicket, Moores taking the catch on the dive at short third man, 76 for four. Five off the Ball over. Carter conceded six off the 12th over. 

Captain sensible 

Captain Critchley and Guest were playing game situation well, running ones and twos. Mullaney went for eight in the 13th over. Patel bowling from the Racecourse End then went for four. Guest launched Mullaney (4-0-29-1) for six over long on, 107 for 4 off 15 overs. Guest was caught behind by the juggling Moores for 20 off Patel (4-0-17-2)108 for 5, six off the over. Hudson-Prentice got a four off Ball through mid wicket. Next ball he edged Ball for four, 13 off the over. 

Panic

Derby were all but over the line. But panic set in, Hudson-Prentice was caught low down at long onby Hales off Harrison, 128 for 6.. McKiernan fell first ball edging the leg spinner to Moores, 128 for seven off 18 overs. Van Beek was caught at mid off by Mullaney off Fletcher, 129 for eight. McKerr was caught behind by Moores off Fletcher for a golden blob, 129 for nine. Scrimshaw got a single off the last ball of the over. Eight needed off the 20th over bowled by Calvin Harrison. Scrimshaw scampered a single off the first ball. Two dot balls followed as Critchley wanted to keep strike. Critchley got a single to midwicket off ball four. Scrimshaw got followed suit. 

A harsh lesson

Then came the final ball,Critchley drove the ball in the air to Budinger at long on, who low down failed to take what should have been a regulation catch diving forwards he spilled it and unfortunately let the ball squirm through his body for four. A harsh lesson for the youngster. Derbyshire skipper Critchley was named man of the match for his run a ball 27 and 4-0-19-1 with the ball.

No time to dwell on the what ifs 

The partisan Derby crowd, which included a scattering of away followers, were left wondering how Derbyshire managed to turn near certain victory into a tie. With excellent team spirit, Notts had bowled well and kept their nerve and went back to the top of the table. With the fixtures coming thick and fast, Lancashire come to Trent Bridge today. MAG

Notts' confidence will be sky-high after the obliteration of Worcester on Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, Derby suffered a catastrophic collapse against Leicester but blew Bears away at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Secret Squirrel has announced a 15 man squad for the journey down the A52.

Sol Budinger
Alex Hales
Joe Clarke
Ben Duckett
Steven Mullaney
Samit Patel
Peter Trego
Tom Moores
Calvin Harrison
Matt Carter
Luke Fletcher
Dane Paterson
Jake Ball

Joey Evison

Zak Chappell