Leicestershire Foxes Vitality T20 Blast at Trent Bridge Win

PATEL SHINES AS OUTLAWS CHASE-DOWN FOXES WITH 14 BALLS TO SPARE

Led by man of the match Samit Patel (63 not out and 4-0-24-1) Notts comfortably beat Leicester by 6 wickets and 14 balls to spare at a sunny Trent Bridge last night. Before the game it was announced that Moores was unwell and that Clarke and Budinger had to be withdrawn from the line-up due to Covid-related reasons. Duckett more than made up for Moores’ absence by keeping tidily with no fumbles and taking 3 catches. In to the line-up came Lyndon James (who did not bat or bowl), Peter Trego, beaten for pace the first ball he faced from Afghan speedster Naveen-ul-Haq and Ben Slater who made his Notts T20 debut. Slater, who played 7 Blast games for Derby in 2017-18, provided the ballast in the middle order scoring a Blast Best 48 in 31 balls (6x4, 1x4) adding 99 in 11.3 overs with Patel after Notts had slumped to 39-3. Earlier Leicester had been tied down by the impressive Harrison and Patel as they were all out for 154 off the last ball of their innings.

Notts won the toss and inserted Leicester in front of a Covid full house of 3,900. Patel bowled the first over from the Pavilion End and removed Scott Steel with his third ball for a golden duck, caught behind by Duckett, 1 for 1. Patel conceded 2 in the opening over. Lilley was dropped on 1 via a rare dropped chance by Fletcher at short third man off Carter, the Bomber throwing it four. Fletcher almost collided with James who was better placed but failed to call for the catch as the fielders almost collided. Lilley switched hit Carter for 6, 12 off the over. The Leeds born Aussie Josh Inglis hit Ball's first delivery to the point ropes. Inglis pulled the next ball to Slater at long leg who did remarkably well to convert a 6 into 2 following boundary rope gymnastics. There followed a stoppage as Inglis was struck on the helmet, seven off the over. Inglis hit Fletcher for a 4 through point, 8 off the over. Lilley hit Patel for 6 over mid wicket, 11 off the over. Lilley hit Ball to the point ropes Lilley (27) was yorked by Ball, 46 for 2.. A leg bye for Ackermann concluded the power play 47 for 2.

Mullaney conceded 5 in his opening over. Calvin Harrison struck with his second ball, Inglis (18) being caught at long off by Hales. Next ball, the dangerous Ackermann (4) was caught and bowled by the leg spinner, 53 for 4. Three off the over. Patel went for 4 off the 9th over. Next over, Harrison went for 7, 66 for 4 off 10 overs.

Swindells edged a 4 off Mullaney, the over costing 14 as Hill hit Mullaney for 6 over mid wicket. Mullaney (2-0-18-0) did not bowl again. A short ball from Carter(2-0-25-0) was pulled for six by Hill, 13 off the over. Swindells cover drove Fletcher for 4. Hill (19) was caught low down by Harrison at deep square leg off Fletcher, 99 for 5 in the 13th over. Patel (2) was leg before to Harrison, 104 for 6, five off the over. Samit Patel (4-0-24-1) conceded 7 off his last over.

Harrison completed a fine 4 over spell with career best 3 for 20, never conceding a boundary. Leicester 116 for 6 off 16 overs.

Harry Swindells (36 off 30 balls – 2x4) skied Ball to Mullaney at mid off, 116 for 7. Mike straight drove Ball for 6, 10 off the 17th over. Parkinson cover drove Fletcher for four. Parkinson (9) edged a short ball from Fletcher into Duckett's gloves, 136 for 8, eight off the over. Ben Mike hit Ball (4-0-32-2) for 6 over mid wicket. A run out mix up saw Naveen depart for 2 following a throw from Harrison, 147 for 9 off 19 overs. Mike hit Fletcher for 4 through long leg. Griffiths was caught behind off the last ball of the innings, Fletcher 3 for 31. Leicester 154 all out off 20 overs. Mike 27 not out off 17 balls. A below par total; they failed to find the ropes (8x4, 7x6) sufficiently against tight bowling.

Duckett hit successive balls from Parkinson (Pavilion End) for leg side hits for 6 and 4, 11 off the first over. Duckett switched hit Ackermann for a six towards the Bridgford Road. Hales smashed Ackermann for 6 over wide long off and then next ball for a leg side 4. Off the first ball of the 3rd over, Duckett (20 off 9 balls) was caught at deep square leg by Mike off Parkinson, 28 for 1. Hales edged Parkinson for 4, six off the third over. Hales (13) cut the first ball from Naveen straight to Rishi Patel at backward point, 34 for 2. Next ball went for 5 wides. Trego was then out first ball beaten for pace by the Afghan and having stumps detonated, 39 for 3. Next ball, Patel played and missed at his initial delivery as the brisk Naveen was proving a handful in the twilight. Patel hit Naveen through the covers, 10 runs and 2 wickets off the over. Patel pulled Griffiths for 4, five off the over. Rishi Patel at backward point dropped his namesake on 10 off Naveen. Slater lofted Naveen for successive fours over wide long on. Notts 58 for 3 off 6 overs. Slater then called for James Pipe for attention on a leg injury.

Patel hit Steel for a six over mid wicket, seven off the over. Ackermann went for 4 in the 8th over. Slater hit Parkinson through point for 4. Patel smashed Parkinson to the mid wicket ropes. Patel was them dropped at short mid wicket on 28 by Ackermann off Steel, a very sharp chance, three off the over. Notts 84 for 3 off 10 overs.

Slater brought up the 50 partnership off 52 balls via a four through long leg off Griffiths, 11 off the over. Patel hoisted Steel for 6 over mid wicket, 10 off the over. Slater was then dropped on 30 by Steel at low down at point off Mike. Patel edged for Mike for 6. Slater then hit for 4 through backward point, 13 off the over.

Patel top edged the returning Naveen to the boundary. Slater hooked him for six into Fox Road. Slater pulled Naveen to backward square leg ropes. Patel got to his 50 off 40 balls with a single off Parkinson. Slater was leg before to Parkinson (4-0-32-2) for 48 off 31 balls. He did more than justify his selection and should remain in the eleven as he had fielded well earlier. The 4th wicket had added 99, 138 for 4 off 15 overs.

Off-spinner Steel (4-0-24-0) conceded 4 off his last over. Griffiths went for 6 off the 17th over as Notts were coasting home. Patel hit Naveen (3.5-0-44-2) to the mid-wicket and square leg ropes as Notts had won by 6 wickets to stay top of the table. Patel 63 not out off 50 balls (6x4, 3x6) had shined once again. Mullaney 6 not out. Notts head to Edgbaston this evening MAG

Outlaws back to the top of the North Group after Vikings slumped badly at Edgbaston.

Secret Squirrel's XIV

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

Lyndon James

Foxes lost on Tuesday, but their form so far has been very up and down; slaughtering Yorkshire and then being slaughtered by Derbyshire and losing to Northants on Tuesday.






Covid appears to have raised its head again today in cricketing circles:

• Notts Second XI game falling to a case in the Lancashire squad at Southport and after the ground had had a deep clean on Monday, following a case among the ground staff there.
• Eight Sussex players are self-isolating after teenage batsman Tom Clark tested positive for Covid-19.

Ollie Robinson, Jamie Atkins, James Coles, Tom Haines, Henry Crocombe, Sean Hunt and Delray Rawlins are in quarantine after close contact with Clark, 19.
Crocombe, Rawlins and Robinson have been withdrawn from the squad for Tuesday's T20 Blast match against Kent.
Stuart Meaker and Ali Orr have been brought in as cover.
Sussex say an academy player and a member of the team's support staff are also self-isolating after they were also in close contact with Clark in the 48 hours before he experienced symptoms.

• Leicestershire's former Notts staffer Lois Kimber is also isolating pending the results of a PCR test but exhibits no symptoms. 

Last week Nick Selman at Glamorgan came down with the disease, causing the Australians to dive into isolation there