Hampshire Hawks Vitality T20 Blast Q/F at Trent Bridge Loss Report

 

OUTLAWS STALLED


An inexcusable Notts collapse, losing nine wickets for 57 runs, under the Trent Bridge lights meant that visitors Hampshire made it three wins out of three in T20 quarter finals last night at Trent Bridge.

Notts won the toss and elected to bowl in front of a crowd of 14,038, larger than any of the quoted attendances for the four previous sub-T20 games played at the venue. There were no great surprises in the eleven, Paterson played for the injured Ball and Slater was rewarded for a fine 50 over competition with his inclusion. However a big mistake was later made, as Slater, presumably selected to add ballast was surprisingly preferred in the number 4 batting position by Tom Moores, who has consistently not fired with the bat throughout the white ball summer and all too predictably failed.

Patel (Radcliffe Road End) bowled the first over and conceded six including an offside boundary for Short. Carter went for four singles in the second over, as did Fletcher in the third over. With the screw tightening D’Arcy Short (9) smashed Paterson straight to Slater at mid wicket, 15 for one. Eighteen year old right-hander Tom Prest hit his second ball to the third man ropes, five off the over. Vince (6) sliced Patel straight to Carter at short third man 19 for two. Weatherley swept Patel for four, the sole scoring shot of the over. Fletcher bowled the 6th over as Hampshire closed the power play on 26 for 2. Notts were in control.

Harrison bowled the seventh over as Prest hit him for a leg side four, seven off the over. Weatherley (6), top edged a sweep shot off Carter straight to Patel at fine leg, 34 for 3, four off the 8th over. McManus was bowled off stump by Harrison for 2, 40 for 4. Dawson fell first ball dabbing the ball straight back to Harrison, 40 for 5 off 9 overs. Notts let Hampshire off the hook slightly as 49 were gathered for the seventh wickets between Prest and James Fuller.

Five came off the 10th over by Patel. Prest hit Harrison to the extra cover ropes, eight off the over. Fuller hit Mullaney for a square leg six, nine off his solitary over. Fuller repeated the shot in the following over bowled by Harrison (4-0-27-2), 71 for 5 off 13 overs. Six came off the 14th over bowled by Carter, including a leg bye. Fuller hit Patel (4-0-25-1) for an off side four, 10 off his final over.

Fuller (30 off 24 balls) was caught at deep mid wicket by Duckett off Carter (4-0-18-2). Hampshire 89 for 6 in the 16th over. Prest hit Paterson for a six over long off. Prest on 42 was dropped at wide long on by Hales, a sitter, and what turned out to be two very precious runs were obtained. But the former Canford School youngster fell next over caught on the square leg ropes by Harrison off Paterson for 44 (off 34 balls), 100 for 7, Prest innings turned out to be the highest of the night, well done to him. 14 off the over including two wides. Fletcher conceded 8 off the 18th over. Paterson (3-0-22-3) had Currie leg before for 3, 115 for 8; three off the 19th over. Wood was caught by Clarke at deep extra cover off Fletcher (4-0-21-1) for 12, 119 for 9. Hampshire closed on 125 for 9 with Crane on 6 and Wheal on 1. The wicket was two paced, and batsmen had trouble consistency timing the ball, all the Notts bowlers had kept Hampshire in check. With the short boundaries and the fast outfield, Notts were left with an easy target which they should have swallowed…..

Wood bowled the first over from the Radcliffe Road End and conceded 8 including a four through extra cover by Hales. Clarke found the point ropes off Dawson and then Hales hit the slow left-armer for six over extra cover, 14 off the over. Clarke hit Wheal for six over backward square leg. Hales then hit Wheal for the four through extra cover, 35 for 0 off 3 overs. Seven came off the 4th over bowled by Currie. Hales (19) fell to spiralling catch by Vince at long off, as he fell to a slow left-armer once more, Dawson the bowler, 42 for 1 Clarke hit Dawson through the covers for four, five off the fifth over. Duckett hit Wood for four through long off, just clearing the fielder. Notts 53 for 1 off 6 overs.

Duckett hit Crane for a four through backward point and then reverse swept him for four. 11 off the 7th over. Notts now needed just 62 runs from the final 13 overs with nine wickets standing, all bets were now off!

The match was to turn dramatically as Notts lost focus. Ben Duckett (16) was run out by a direct him from James Fuller throwing from mid off, 66 for 2. Wood had conceded two off the 8th over. With the small target it was no brainer that Slater should come in at four, but instead the out of form Moores came in. Moores fell leg before to Crane for a 4-ball single, 68 for three, Moores clearly not picking the leg spinner, and his dismissal just added to the Hampshire momentum, it was from this point that Notts were completely overwhelmed.

Wheal conceded three off the 10th over, Notts 71 for 3. Joe Clarke hit Crane for six over mid wicket, 10 off the 11th over, but the prolific Clarke and Patel were now both struggling to time the ball. Accumulation rather than attempted domination was the order of the day. Patel was dropped at short extra cover by Wheal off Currie, an absolute sitter.

Notts batsmen caught Short

Next over, Clarke (42 off 37 balls) skied Dawson to Wood in the covers, 83 for 4. Next ball, Patel was stumped off a Dawson wide for four, 84 for 5. The wide was the only run off the 13th over. The collapse continued as Slater was caught low at point by Weatherley off Wood for 3, 88 for 6 after 14 overs. Three came off Crane's last over, the leg spinner having figures of 4-0-26-1. Harrison lofted Wood for four over extra cover. Harrison fell for 5 caught on the square leg ropes by Short off Currie (4-0-16-2) 96 for 7 off 15.4 overs. The batsmen crossed and Mullaney fell in identikit fashion for 4, 96 for 8. Somebody needed to remind the batsmen, this innings lasted 120 not 100 balls!

Man of the match Liam Dawson (4-0-24-3) had conceded four off the 17th over. Carter hit Wheal for a six over wide long off. Fletcher going for a wild swing was comprehensively bowled for 3, 109 for 9. The match appeared to be over.

Wood (4-0-32-1) bowled the 19th over from the Pavilion End, and after two dot balls Carter clobbered him for six over mid wicket. A two followed and then cue a huge crowd eruption as Carter hit another towering six through cow comer. Only three required now with seven deliveries remaining. Vital instructions were delivered to Carter out in the middle, but a dot ball meant that Paterson was to face the first delivery of the final over delivered by Brad Wheal. Could Paterson repeat his Grantham batting heroics? Three dot balls followed as the tension increased, Paterson fell a 5-ball duck as Wheal (3.4-0-24-2) found the edge and keeper McManus took a regulation catch. Notts 123 all out off 19.4 overs, Carter left stranded on 23. Hampshire had overcome the odds and had won by two runs. Notts quarter-final hoodoo had struck again. The cool head of Dan Christian had been sadly missed.

How much was Notts performance affected by the 38 day break as the circus came to town?; Were the home side complacent?; Should Notts have batted first, knowing that we much stronger setting than chasing a target? Was the slow deck the ideal surface for Notts to prepare for the contest? All these topics will be debated long and hard as Notts lick their wounds. However, dramatic defeats happen in the helter skelter world of T20, it’s the nature of the beast.

Notts’ season, however, will be defined in how they perform in their remaining four championship games starting at Taunton on Monday. Sam Northeast made a disappointing first appearance in Notts colours yesterday falling leg before for a two ball duck to the brisk and bouncy Sam Conners in the less that palatial surroundings of Lady Bay. MAG

Secret Squirrel has a problem! He lost Harry Gurney to retirement through injury (not sustained whilst having his foot stuck in his mouth - I should add) on the eve of this competition. Ordinarily (without Covid in charge) I suspect that vacancy would have been filled with an overseas specialist option but Outlaws managed to muddle through with Jake Ball and Luke Fletcher on death bowling duties, quite successfully. Unfortunately Outlaws have now lost Jake Ball who managed to pull-up lame during the waste of space Hundred competition - do Outlaws get some compensation?  

Blast games, after the Bears mauling, took a familiar pattern with Outlaws employing their 3 spinners plus Mullaney, as and when required in addition to Fletch and Bally - the formula worked! SS in his 14 man squad has named Peter Trego, Dane Paterson and Brett Hutton as a replacement for Ball - none of them has Ball's zip. Sol Budinger has been omitted with James or Slater in his place(?). 

Secret Squirrel's XIV:

Alex Hales
Joe Clarke
Ben Duckett
Steven Mullaney
Ben Slater
Samit Patel
Tom Moores
Lyndon James
Calvin Harrison
Brett Hutton
Luke Fletcher
Matt Carter
Peter Trego
Dane Paterson

Lyndon James, Brett Hutton and Peter Trego are all playing in the current SEC match at Lady Bay - so is that a indicator to who the three to miss out will be?

latest:

Another twist saw Matt Montgomery replace Peter Trego as captain in the Lady Bay game this morning whilst Sam Northeast replaced Trego in the eleven.