Sunday 20 June 2021

Lancashire Lightning Vitality T20 Blast at Old Trafford Tie No.2

 



OUTLAWS SALVAGE A TIE

After Samit and Mullaney Slow Down Lightning

Notts achieved their second tie of the season at Old Trafford this afternoon, after coming back from the dead in the closing stages. 

An unchanged Notts won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny afternoon. Lancashire were without England pair Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone. Notts lost Clarke early but Hales (33 off 17 balls) took a liking to Steven Croft taking 21 off the fourth over of the innings including five successive boundaries but was dismissed the following over caught at extra cover off slow left armer Tom Hartley . Sol Budinger on his second appearance was out for 13. Notts 55 for three at the end of the power play. Duckett (35 off 23 balls), on form in this year’s competition played the most fluent innings and the running between the wickets between him and Moores was excellent. As ever, the boundaries were long and on the used pitch, run scoring got increasingly more difficult as the innings progressed. Duckett was leg before to Hartley. Moores, struggling to time the ball throughout, was given four lives by the butter-fingered Lancashire fielders but was finally dismissed in the last over for 48 off 40 balls (1x4, 1x6) Notts 172 all out off 20 overs, a competitive total as DannyLamb who took two wickets in the last over to finish with 4-0-23-3. Matt Parkinson was expensive going for 45 off his 4 overs. Keaton Jennings and Kiwi opener Finn Allen got Lancashire off to a brisk start as Notts bowlers had a disappointing power play as the Red Rose stood at 64-0 after 6 overs. Patel, Mullaney and Harrison pulled back the scoring rate but with Lancashire 118 for 0 after 12.5 overs,needing a further 55 off 7.1 overs the game seemed over. However, a fine catch at long off by Joe Clarke saw the end of Finn Allen for 60, the canny Patel (4-0-18-1) the bowler. Next over, Davies after earlier dropping Moores twice went for a3-ball duck to sharp caught and bowled to Mullaney, 3 off the over. Lancashire skipper Vilas joined Jennings in the middle and the next three overs bowled by Harrison (3-0-26-0), Mullaney (4-0-25-1) and Patel went for 25. Lancashire now needed 27 off 3 overs but with eight wickets standing. Carter, not at his best earlier, conceded seven. Suddenly Notts had a sniff. Ball conceded eight as Vilas was caught on the ropes. Twelve needed off the last over as Fletcher who had only bowled one over in the afternoon bowled the last over from the Statham End. The first four deliveries went for 4, but then Fletcher was hit for six over mid wicket by man of the match Jennings (88 off 61 balls – 4x4, 4x6). Two needed off the last ball but Jennings hit the ball to the sliding Mullaney in the covers who threw to Moores who ran out Jennings well short of the second run. Match tied!

Three wickets fall in the powerplay

Tom Hartley bowled the first over from the Pavilion (James Anderson) End;Hales hit him for a leg side four, nine off the over. Clarke (4) fell to catch at extra cover by Hartley off Croft, 11 for one. Three came off the second over plus a leg bye. Luke Wood bowled the third over and Hales edged him to the boundary ropes. Notts 23 for one after 3 overs. Hales hit Croft for five successive fours through point, extra cover, long leg, extra cover and third man. A single followed, 21 off the over. Hartley returned and had Hales (33) skying to Allen at extra cover, 44 for two. Hartley conceded four off the fifth over. Wood bowled the last over of the power play, Budinger(13) drove him for a lofted four, but he fell next ball caught at mid on by Tom Hartley, 54 for three.. Moores then got a single, Notts 55 for 3 after 6 overs.


Dropped, twice

Moores was dropped on 1 by Davies diving forward at mid wicket off Danny Lamb. Duckett got a four through backward point, nine off the over. Croft returned from the Statham End. Notts 71 for three off eight overs. Duckett hit Parkinson to the cover boundary, ten off the over. Moores on 12 was spilled on the deep mid wicket ropes by Davies off Lamb, a much easier chance than his previous drop. Moores hit the last ball of the over to the point ropes. Duckett found the mid wicket ropes and next ball swept to the square leg boundary, Parkinson the bowler. Duckett hit Croft for six over square leg, 110 for 3 off 12 overs. 

Notts lost their way after this point, scoring 62 off eight overs.

Dropped, twice more

Hartley returned and Duckett (35) on the sweep was leg before, 112 for four. Just four being scored off the 13th over. Moores on 23 was dropped by Vilas off Wood, seven off the over. Parkinson bowled the 15th over and Patel swept him for six, 10 off the over. Patel (12) slashed a delivery from Lamb straight back to the bowler, 133 for five. Eight runs came off Hartley's last over. Moores was dropped once again on 36 at short third man above his head by Parkinson. Wood bowled two wides and a no ball, but had Mullaney (6) caught by Parkinson at short fine leg, 154 for six; the long tail was now exposed. Fletcher(3) was dropped at the deep mid wicket by Wood, but off the next delivery he was caught by Jennings at mid on, Parkinson the bowler. Moores played a switch hit for six off the leg spinner. Harrison, who should be batting at eight, then got a two and one, 12 off the over. Moores (48) was caught on the deep mid wicket ropes by Davis off Lamb. Carter holed out Wood at mid wicket off Lamb.Harrison was run out going for two off the last bowler, 171 all out off 20 overs.

Trouble-free Powerplay for Lancashire

Patel bowled the first over from Anderson End, four off the over. Carter conceded sixoff the second over. Jennings hoisted Ball for a straight six, 18 for 0 off 3overs. The next three overs went for 46 as the Notts bowlers were struggling then openers Allen and Jennings. Finn Allen smashed Carter for a straight six and then hit him for four through mid wicket, 15 off the over. A short ball from Fletcher was hooked for six by Allen, ten off the over plus a leg bye. Jennings hit Ball for six over mid wicket and followed it with a straight four. Allen then pulled successive fours through fine leg, 20 off the over, Lancashire 64 for 0 after 6 overs.

Lancashire cruising

Patel conceded three off the seventh over. A leg side ball from Mullaney went for 4 byes, a further four came off the bat in the 8th over. Jennings reverse swept Harrison for four, eight off the over plus a bye. Mullaney conceded eight off the following over, 92 for 0 off 10 overs. Jennings hit Harrison for six over long on, 10 off the 11th over.

Openers reach their 50s but Patel was fighting back

Allen got to his 50 off 36 balls with a six over wide long on off Carter, 12 off the over. Next over, Jennings got to his 50 in 35 balls with a single off Patel.Allen departed for 60 caught on the run at long off by Clarke off Patel, 118 for one off 13 overs. Davies was caught and bowled off a leading edge by Mullaney for 0, 119 for two, three off the over. Jennings hit Harrison for four through the covers. In 16th over, Jennings miscued the ball towards Fletcher at short fine leg, Fletcher slow off the mark never got his hands on the ball, and it would have been an easy chance to more agile fielder.Vilas swept Mullaney as Fletcher running through treacle failed to reach the ball,139 for two off 16 overs. Jennings hit Patel (4 0 18 1) through the covers for four, seven off the over. Patel was the best bowler on show today and used all his experience to bring Notts back from the dead. Carter conceded seven of the 18th over, 153 for two off 18 overs. Vilas (12 off 10 balls) was caught was at deep cover by Harrison off Ball 156 for three with nine balls left.Jennings hit a three behind the wicket next ball. Eight off the over.

12 required off 6 balls with opener still at the crease

Lancashire required 12 off the over bowled by Fletcher. Jennings ran a leg bye. Croft drove a single. Jennings and then Croft ran singles. Eight needed off two balls.Fletcher made his one mistake as Jennings hit him for six off mid wicket. The 5,000 crowd was now at fever pitch. Jennings hit the last ball towards Mullaney in the covers he slid, and slightly fumbled the ball but the throw was accurate and Moores did the rest. Jennings was run out failing to complete the second run.The fourth tie in Notts T20 history, five if you include the epic quarter final against the Foxes last season that went to count back. All the Notts players celebrated,except Fletcher, who despite bowling a pretty impressive over, stood hunched by the stumps, flicking off the bails in anger, and clearly not happy with himself for letting Jennings get the six. Both teams probably achieved slightly over par totals. Notts are batting well, although still lack balance lower down the order. Their power play bowling was once again disappointing but to their immense credit showed all their fight and experience to gain a most unlikely point.They remain in fourth place in a highly contested table. Worcestershire in sixth come to Trent Bridge on Tuesday without Moeen Ali. Lancashire will rue dropping top scorer Moores four times and then failing to close out a match they had won with seven overs remaining. MAG





Secret Squirrel's XIII

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





13 comments:

  1. Samit Patel rather rammed my words down my throat, fair enough.

    But I do think he is on nearly empty now, and the future lies with the likes of Sol, James, Liam, Calvin, Evison etc.

    Certainly if we pick Trego and Patel as well as Fletch, worth his place for bowling, but no greyhound in the field, alarm bells will ring as fielding would just not be up to standard needed.

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    1. Yes Rich, I think one static fielder is hidable, two at a push unless the ball is flying to all corners but three is asking for trouble/defeat.

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  2. Lancs away is a tough fixture, but a major re-shuffle for Lancs, with Buttler missing, but not only him, also Livingstone missing, which I think it a bigger loss as he is a key part of their usual side, whereas Buttler is a bit of a luxury who comes in sometimes for them. Will probably mean Finn Allen and Alec Davies to open. Still amazing openers, but does mean the middle order is a bit weaker and increases reliance on the openers. Means our powerplay bowling is key! Again. For us, expect same side as vs Derbyshire?

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  3. Sol B has waited quite a while for his big chance. Be wonderful for him and us if he can transfer his Second 11 form to the Blast first 11.
    Could be quite something to see Sol and Alex batting together for a few overs . Not forgetting of course current in form big hitter Joe Clarke
    Should be a cracking game today . I notice Notts are favs with the Bookies at 4/6
    Surely it should be 10/11 each of two ?

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  4. Notts are favourites because Livingstone is absent - he is a lynch pin and without him Lancs team is not balanced. Either one light on batting or bowling. As big as loss for them as DC is for us, but we've managed.

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  5. Outlaws unchanged, win toss and bat. Lancashire - Keaton Jennings, Rob Jones and Luke Wells in for Livingstone, Buttler and Tom Bailey. So, an experienced batsman in for an explosive one. And two batsmen with poor T2O strike rates (105 Jones, 67 Wells!) in for Buttler and the paceman Bailey.

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  6. Fletch must be pretty annoyed with himself judging by the way he flicked at the stumps after the match finished,Okay so he bowled one bad ball,But the rest of the over was about as good as any death over should be, Lets face it at 113-0 we would have accepted the tie after the way the Lancs overs had batted

    One thing you can say about Notts is they never know when they are beaten. In T20 that is truly an ability to be desired.

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  7. Not a bad outcome really, as we didn't play well. Lancs weak middle order really told in my opinion and led to them batting quite conservatively after a fast start. Due at #6 was Jones who averages 26 in T20 but only at a strike rate of 105 while at #7 was red-ball specialist Luke Wells who has now played a total of 6 (professional) T20 matches, batted 5 times, scored only 18 runs at 3.60, with a strike rate of 67 runs per 100 balls. Not what you need at the end of a chase really!

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  8. Great for the skipper to get that crucial last ball run out.

    Terrific match, were 4,000 there to watch ?

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  9. Lancashire should be feeling just as Notts felt after the Worcester tie, they had the win in the bag but dropped the bag. I agree with Zanga, Fletch will probably be fairly annoyed with his fifth ball- a thigh-high full toss begging to be hit to where it actually ended-up, so it could have been doubly worse for Lancashire than just the tie.

    At 12 overs I thought Notts were in for massive net rate destroying defeat in 15 overs or so, so a tie feels like the point lost at Worcester has been given back to us by Lancashire.

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  10. On TV it looked like people sat where they wanted! Is this the case MAG?

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  11. Two tied matches by Notts within 7 days in the Blast . Whats the odds on that happening ? Cant remember any 20/20 side doing it before.
    Neither match actually should have been a tie with just a few balls to go .
    Were they points gained or points lost in Notts case?

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