Durham Vitality Blast T20 at Trent Bridge Win

 

DAN BOWS OUT WITH A TEAM WIN

Fifties for Clarke and Duckett ensure routine win

A crowd of 11,431 saw Notts win their third T20 game in a row as Durham were comfortably beaten with three overs to spare. However, results elsewhere meant that any tiny chance of being able to qualify for the quarter finals have now vanished.

Durham won the toss and elected to bat. Notts resisted the urge to give Joey Evison his competition debut with Harrison and Ball brought into the eleven at the expense of Carter and Fletcher.

Dark clouds hovered overhead and spots of rain started to fall as Ball bowled the first delivery from the Pavilion End, it resulted in a 4-minute stoppage as Durham opener Graham Clark was hit in the nether regions. After treatment from James Pipe, the temporary physio at Durham, Clark hit the third ball for four, five off the over. Mullaney conceded three runs off the second over. Clark hit Patel for four through mid-wicket, 8 off the third over. Jones pulled Christian for four, 12 off the fourth over including 5 leg byes. Clark (14) skied Ball to Clarke in the covers, 28 for 1. Robinson hit Ball for 4 through mid-wicket but was out next ball top edging Ball straight to Moores behind the stumps, 32 for 2, five dots in the fifth over. Turner hit Christian to the square leg ropes, 41 for 2 off 6 overs.

Jones hit Patel for four through extra cover as the sun was now shining brightly. Nine off the 7th over. Turner hit Harrison for a straight 6, nine off the over. Turner lofted Patel for a straight 4 and the next ball found the mid-wicket boundary. The following delivery went for 6 over long on, 17 off the over as Patel (3-0-34-0) for once proved expensive. Jones hit Mullaney for 6 over long on. Ashton Turner (33 off 18 balls,3x4,2x6) skied Mullaney to Christian at extra cover. Durham 86 for 3 off 10 overs.

Trevaskis got an extra cover boundary off James, 8 off the 7th over. Trevaskis (6) hit Mullaney low to Christian at extra cover, 94 for 4. Coughlin hit his first ball for 4 through mid-wicket. He perished next ball caught at fine leg by the juggling Patel off Mullaney, 98 for 5, six off the over. James conceded 7 off the 13th over. Mullaney (4-0-25-3) went for 6 off his 4th over. Carse hit Ball to the mid-wicket ropes. Hales dropped Carse right on the long on ropes as the ball went for 6. Jones (41 off 36 balls, 3x4,1x6) hit Ball for 4 and then was caught by Mullaney on the square leg ropes, 128 for 6 off 15 overs.

Carse hit Harrison (2-0-17-0) for a legside four, eight off the 16th over. Eckersley got a four through third man off James. Carse (25 off 17 balls) was caught at long on by Duckett as James (3-0-23-1) picked up his first T20 wicket, 141 for 7, eight off the over. Raine found the cover ropes off Christian, next ball went for 4 through square leg. Raine (10) was run out going for a quick single off Christian, the bowler hitting the stumps at the non-striker’s end, 153 for 8. Eleven off the 18th over. Eckersley hit Ball for consecutive fours 4 through third man and straight. Tye hit Ball (4-0-39-3) for a six into the Fox Road Stand., 16 off the over. Tye hit Christian for 6 over long on as the skipper in his last ever appearance at Trent Bridge finished with 4-0-37-0, two catches and a run out, he did not however later come to the crease. Despite the infusion of more athletic fielders, there were too many fumbles in the field as Durham despite losing wickets at regular intervals managed to get to 183 for 8 off 20 overs with Eckersley on 23 (off 12 balls) and Tye on 8.

Carse (Pavilion End) bowled the first over, Clarke hitting a no ball to the mid-wicket ropes, eight off the over. Hales hit Trevaskis for 4 through extra cover and then successive sixes over point and long on, 19 off the over. Clarke hit Raine for consecutive sixes over mid-wicket, 13 off the over. Clarke hit Tye for a straight 6 and then for a legside four, 52 for 0 off 4 overs. Hales (26) was caught at deep square leg by Sowter off Trevaskis, 53 for 1. Duckett hit Trevaskis for 4 through mid-wicket, 8 off the 5th over. Clarke hit Carse for 4 over extra cover. Notts 67 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.

Raine conceded 6 off the 7th over. Duckett hit Sowter for 6 over square leg, 10 off the over. Clarke hit a beamer from Tye for 6 over square leg, Clarke got a single off the free hit, 14 off the over. Clarke brought up the Notts 100 with a six over long off, Raine (3-0-30-0) the bowler. A single for Clarke next ball brought up his 50 off 28 balls, 11 off the 10th over. Notts seemingly cruising.

Clarke was caught at mid-off by Turner off Sowter for 51 off 30 balls, a skier to the Durham captain Turner, 108 for 2, 4 off the over. Duckett swept Trevaskis for successive fours. Mullaney was stumped by Ollie Robinson off Trevaskis for 1, 121 for 3, 10 off the 12th over. James hit Carse for 6 into the Fox Road and two balls later he hit Carse for 6 over long leg, 16 off the over. Duckett reverse swept Trevaskis (4-0-45-2) for 4, 8 off the 14th over. James (20 off 12 balls) skied Sowter to short mid-wicket with Trevaskis taking the catch, 148 for 4. Moores hit his first three balls faced for boundaries, through extra cover, square leg and extra cover once more, 14 off the over. Moores hit Tye for 4 through extra cover. Moores was caught by the acrobatic Sowter at backward square leg off Tye (3-0-36-1) for 16, 166 for 5. The leg-spinner parrying the ball back into play and taking the catch. Budinger hit his first ball for a lofted four through mid-wicket, 10 off the 16th over. Duckett swept Sowter for 4 reaching his 50 off 31 balls. Budinger hit Sowter (4-0-39-3) for 4 through long on. Budinger was stumped by Robinson off Sowter for 10, 181 for 6 off 17 overs. Patel came to the crease but did not face a ball as Carse (3-0-34-0) bowling the 18th over to Duckett bowled a no ball which was hit for a leg side single meaning that Notts won the game by 4 wickets with 18 balls to spare.

A routine win as Duckett, who played far the most stylish innings finishing on an unbeaten 51 off 30 balls with fours, 1 six and no slogs. Notts remain 7th in the table, a win at Worcester would ensure then 6th place, and should Leicestershire fail against in their home encounter against Yorkshire, they could finish as high as 5th in the standings. MAG

Secret Squirel must be absent as new names appear in the squad (not that that means many changes)

Joe Clarke
Alex Hales
Ben Duckett

Tom Moores X

Samit Patel

Steven Mullaney

Dan Christian C

Calvin Harrison

Matt Carter

Luke Fletcher

Jake Ball

Sol Budinger

Joey Evison

Lyndon James

Matt Montgomery

Ticket sales appear to be going better than for most of this hurried campaign, in spite of this being a meaningless game as both sides are doomed as also rans in the race for the Quarter Final places. Sky have also cut this game from their programme, hence the start time has been yanked forward 30 minutes, from the advertised schedule.

Could this been the end of an era, a final farewell, for several of the seniors likely to feature tomorrow?  [Christian Record Ton click here]

Change has to happen, but will it happen in this game? I very much doubt it. Lyndon James, an all rounder, had a turn last week but batted well down the order and his bowling wasn't trusted enough to be tried. Sol Budinger has had a couple of starts but again has been well down the batting order; so never gained any useful experience. Then there's Zak...

The Dads Army Tag (Sky TV started it)

It's been a season too far for a tired looking Dan Christian, so we've only seen flashes of what we used to be able to rely on in the past. [now confirmed as his last home game] If Samit wasn't such a wily campaigner with the ball in hand, he'd be out on his uppers already, because his batting would appear to have gone to seed. Earlier in the tournament when there was things to play for, Steven Mullaney just didn't deliver, cracking under the pressure, alas. Alex Hales looks as he is, not playing enough cricket to be able to deliver consistantly. The changes in format week on week, has not suited Joe Clarke, so our fearsome top order hasn't blown oppostion sides away too often - when they have fired, we have won in spite of the rest being so sketchy in their own form [ ref: Derbyshire away and Leicestershire Foxes away]

You could stick the boot-in on all of them; Tom Moores (too many dot balls), Calvin Harrison (obsession with a ramp shot that gets him out more often than not), Fletch (fielding, where to hide him?), Jake Ball (AWAOL), Matt Carter (tired and out of condition). Perhaps only Ben Duckett can escape any criticism. Expectations were high at Trent Bridge in May and his squad have failed, they haven't even competed in most of their games being a bad second best to both Lancashire and Warwickshire in their encounters at home and humbled by a weak Leicestershire side again in front of a home crowd. They came third in a two horse race at Headingley; games just haven't been exciting with the only close matches being the rain affected games at Edgbaston and CLS.

For all the good times Dan Christian has given us, he deserves to go out on a high. We the loyal supporters perhaps deserves some hope for next season.