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NOTTS UNDONE BY CROFT (AGAIN)
as Notts youngsters go down with their heads held highNotts' run in the Royal London was derailed at Stanley Park as home town boy Steven Croft led the way with a chanceless undefeated 115 off 105 balls (10x4, 2x6) as Lancashire won by 3 wickets with 9 balls to spare.
Lancashire won the toss and inserted an unchanged Notts on a sunny day in front of a disappointing crowd numbering around 1,000. The home side were without Rob Jones (who was injured in the warm up and who was replaced by Jack Morley) along with bowlers Will Williams and Tom Bailey. The wicket was the same one used last Thursday against Northants which had yielded 742 runs in 98.2 overs for the loss of just 10 wickets.
Blatherwick bowled the first over from the South End and Slater hit him for three boundaries. Blatherwick's opening partner was Hurt who went for five off the second over. Balderson replaced Blatherwick for the 7th over as Notts raced passed 50 as Budinger hit him for 6 over long off. Former Notts seamer Blatherwick (3 0 28 0) was not called upon to bowl again. In the following over, Budinger hit Hurt for 6 over square leg. Danny Lamb bowled the 10th over and Budinger hit him for 6 over long off, 79 for 0 off 10 overs. Notts had got off to an explosive start.
Wells came on for the 12th over and Budinger on 44 was dropped at backward point by Vilas off the leg spinner. Budinger's 50 arrived off 41 balls. Budinger was dismissed caught at deep mid-wicket by Wells off Balderson for 56 (off 46 balls, 6x4, 3x6), 98 for 1 in the 15th over. Slow left-armer Morley came on in the 19th over as Slater reached 50 off 62 balls. James had joined Slater in the middle and they had workmanlike partnership of 62 off 14 overs. James (29) smashed the ball back to bowler Croft in his second over, who took the catch diving to his left, 160 for 2 off 28 overs. The following over was bowled by Lamb. Captain Hameed (4) drove the ball straight back to Lamb who took the return catch, 167 for 3 after 31 overs. Morley returned for the 35th over and conceded 13 runs including 3 boundaries. Notts reached their 200 in the following over bowled by Lamb. The bowling changes continued as for the 37th over Wells was brought back on. A cover driven four by Slater off Lamb saw him to his an excellent 100 off 117 balls. Montgomery should been run out on 27 by bowler Lamb having been sent back by Slater, a very costly mistake. Notts were 225 for 3 off 40 overs. The last 10 overs proved very profitable for the Green and Golds as 113 runs were added as Montgomery, having had an excellent tournament accelerated impressively.
Hurt returned for the 42nd over and picked up a wicket with his fifth delivery when Slater was well caught at extra cover by Lamb off Hurt for 104 off 122 balls (12x4), 239 for 4. Balderson returned for the 43rd over and Montgomery hit him for 6 over long on and then for four over extra cover to bring up his 50 off 42 balls. Patterson-White hit Hurt for six over square leg into the public area of Stanley Park. Next over, Montgomery hit Balderson for 6 over mid-wicket. Patterson-White (15) holed out to square leg caught by Hurt running in from the boundary, Balderson the bowler, 270 for 5 off 45 overs. Lamb bowled the 46th over and Hutton hit him for 6 into the Pavilion and then next ball a four through mid-wicket, 16 off the over. Hurt was given for the 47th over as Notts reached 300 with 18 balls still to bowl. Montgomery (78 off 56 balls, 8x4, 2x6) hit Lamb for successive boundaries through mid-wicket but then was caught at point attempting a reverse hit, 311 for 6 after 48 overs. A splendid innings and his most buccaneering to date.
Singh making room lost his middle stump to Hurt to depart for a golden duck, 312 for 7. Hutton (24 off 13 balls) was caught on the mid-wicket ropes by Hurt off Lamb, 324 for 8. Paterson then blasted 14 off the last three deliveries of the innings, hitting a sixes over long off and then straight off his first two balls. Notts 338 for 8 off 50 overs with Paterson 14 and Schadendorf 6 had achieved a par total after impressing in the first and last 10 overs after having somewhat slower 30 overs in the middle scoring 146. Lancashire on paper had a more experienced batting line-up for their chase
Hutton (South End) and Pettman opened the bowling. Pettman bowled an expensive 2nd over going for 14, two legside fours were followed by a straight six, all off the bat of Jennings. A cracking delivery from Hutton that moved away saw Jennings (23) caught behind by Schadendorf, 33 for 1 in the 5th over. Wells hit Pettman out of the ground with a six over square leg and then a legside four and then a 6 over backward square leg, 17 off the eighth over. Paterson bowled the 10th over, Lancashire 71 for 1 after 10 overs.
Patterson-White bowled the 11th over. Wells (47) perished pulling Paterson straight to Singh at long leg, 85 for 2 after 12 overs. Lancashire reached 100 in the 15th over via 4 byes off Patterson-White. Bohannon (37) was caught low down by his boots by James at extra cover off Paterson, 119 for 3 in the 18th over. After a spell of 2 for 29 off 5 overs from Paterson, Singh came on. Pettman returned for the 25th over and conceded ten. Lancashire 162 for 3 after 25 overs were now favourites.
Pettman (5 0 52 0) had been given a single over as Montgomery was introduced for the 27th over. Vilas was dropped on 28 an easy chance to Hameed at extra cover off Singh. The very next ball, Vilas (29) was caught at mid-wicket by Hameed off Montgomery, 180 for 4 in the 29th over. The cricketing gods smiling on Notts.
Hutton replaced Singh from the North End for the 34th over and he had Balderson (15) caught low down at point by Montgomery, 205 for 5. Lavelle hit Hutton for consecutive fours in the 36th over and then Croft found the ropes, 15 off the over. Patterson-White returned and his first ball was hit for six by Lavelle over mid-wicket, three balls later Croft found the point ropes, 11 off the 37th over. After three expensive overs Notts fought back as the spinners turned the screw. Lavelle (18) was caught at long on by James off the returning Montgomery, 237 for 6 in the 38th over. Lancashire 254 for 6 off 40 overs, needing 85 runs off the last 10 overs.
Lamb was crucially dropped on 11 by Paterson on the point ropes playing a reverse hit off Patterson-White (10 0 60 0). Montgomery (10 0 52 2) had done a brilliant job as sixth bowler with Lancashire needing 65 off 6.1 overs his final delivery was scooped for four over Schadendorf's head, it was from this moment the game dramatically shifted in Lancashire's favour.
Next ball, Croft hit Singh for a mid-wicket boundary, a two followed then a six over mid-wicket. Croft then hit him the final delivery for 6 over square leg, 20 off the 45th over, 41 needed off 5 overs. Singh (9 0 59 0) who had bowled so well for his previous eight overs, was not to complete his allocation.
Croft got to his 100 off 95 balls with a single off Montgomery as six singles came off the 46th over bowled by Montgomery his bowling spell complete. Paterson came back for the 47th over and Lamb hit his 4th ball for six over square leg. The next ball hit the helmet, five penalty runs, what the helmet was doing out there when the spinners had been clearly bowled out, is open to conjecture. It was then belatedly moved from play. The last ball Lamb hit for 4 through long off, 17 off the over and a match that had been swinging one way and then another had taken its final twist. Only 18 now needed off three overs.
Lamb (43 off 32 balls, 4x4, 1x6) ramped four off Hutton (8 0 57 3) and then finally was out caught on the mid-wicket ropes by Patterson-White off Hutton, 331 for 7 off 48 overs. The 7th wicket stand of 94 in 11.5 overs between Lamb and Croft had proved decisive.
Paterson bowled the 49th and what to be proved the last over of the highly entertaining game. His first delivery was dabbled for four by Croft down fine leg, he then ran a two, the third delivery and the final ball of the match was smashed for four through mid-wicket by Croft. Lancashire 341 for 7 off 48.3 overs with Croft with a chanceless and memorable 115 not out had won the game for the home side.
Poor Paterson (6.3 0 51 2) had conceded 22 runs over his final nine deliveries. In addition, there had been five penalty runs added to the total when the ball struck the helmet. The more experienced home side go through to the last four,
Notts can reflect on some impressive performances from their young players under Hameed's inspired captaincy and they should be proud of their efforts in their 9 matches in the competition. Five wins and 4 losses is not bad considering they had a complete team line-up ripped away from them and only in the game at Bristol were they outclassed. A lot of these players should be given a chance in T20 Blast next season. MAG
You guessed it, Secret Squirrel has named everyone that's available and why not:
Sol Budinger
Ben Slater
Dane Schadendorf
Haseeb Hameed
Matt Montgomery
Lyndon James
Liam Patterson-White
Sammy King
Fateh Singh
Brett Hutton
Zak Chappell
James Hayes
Dane Paterson
Toby Pettman
Ben Martindale
I can't see why he'd change the final eleven either, everything's a bonus from here. Just do your best lads!
The non-Lightning Lancashire have 13: Keaton Jennings*, Tom Bailey, George Balderson, Jack Blatherwick, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Liam Hurt, Rob Jones, Danny Lamb, George Lavelle+, Jack Morley, Dane Vilas, Luke Wells.
Realistically, 338 batting first was never likely to be enough on that wicket and against a strong looking Lancashire batting line up.Fair play to Notts, they gave it their best shot and Montgomery for one should now be promoted to play 4 day cricket as a middle order batsman.
ReplyDeleteI consider that Notts always appeared to be an all-rounder short throughout the competition. If either Evison ( who should have been made to see out his contract with Notts), or Pattinson's unexplained absence throughout the tournament had been available, then Notts could well have been contesting a semi final next week. Unfortunately, it is all immaterial now.
Secrecy seems very much the name of the game at Notts, Take for example the missing James Pattinson, Most of us would i think imagine he has been given leave to be with his new baby, If thats the case why not tell us and in the process show a positive action to staff/player welfare, Sadly this does not seem to be the way with Notts, Trying to get information out of Notts is almost impossible, In these days of constant media attention through social media and the internet burying your head in the sand just does not work anymore, Notts really need to get a little more savvy and keep all their many supporters informed .
ReplyDeleteIt was always going to be difficult defending 338 at Blackpool, But i wonder how much closer Notts might have got if they had the services of players signed for the 100 who have not been used during the qualification stages, Correct me if i am wrong but i cannot recollect either Mull of Calvin Harrison playing whist Fletch only only at the start.
i really dislike the insidious way the ECB is allowing this poor imposter of real cricket to work its way into our summer and the thought that it could possibly be played alongside the red ball game in the future is enough to make me wonder just what sort of summer we would face, Notts without their 100 players would struggle ,
Part two (pressed the enter key by accident) Yes i know other teams lose players but its hardly an even spread amongst the counties, The same article that mentions the possibility of a red ball move also mentions that the 100 will be be safe until at least 2028 and they say they have the best long interests of the game at heart .... i sometimes wonder !!!
ReplyDeleteSpoke to Mick Newell at Welbeck who confirmed Patto is not returning and there will be news in a few days….,
ReplyDeleteAgree with Mark on both points, Matt Montgomery should come in for the remainder 3 championship games and Evison, who looked really good yesterday at Leicester, should have been made to see out his contract as you would have to in the real world.
It’s the usual, weak, cowardly management at the club by the usual high command who couldn’t run your local corner shop.
And yes Zanga, these days you can’t bury news you don’t like, it will come out eventually, so just be honest with your supporters and fan base but our club is still stuck in the dark ages for some bizarre reason. In any organisation weak management at the top and success comes in spite of this and we have certainly got very weak management
Thanks for the posts. It’s interesting that all the news and valuable information is gleaned from Notts view first and far ahead of anywhere else (followed by perhaps the cricket press, The girdler and the post)well done. Foxy
ReplyDelete