Lancashire Metro Bank Cup at Welbeck CC Loss

 

22/08

JENNINGS GUIDES LANCS HOME AFTER NOTTS COLLAPSE EARLY ON

Lancashire cruised to a 7-wicket victory with 9.1 overs to spare at Welbeck today. Notts losing all three games up in North Notts.

With Calvin Harrison called up to The Hundred, Brett Hutton came back into Eleven. Josh Bohannon was injured (calf) in the warm up so veteran Steven Croft came into the Lancashire team for his 50-over appearance of 2023.

On a sunny morning with a strong south westerly blowing. Notts won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat on a green pitch in front of a crowd of around 1,200.

Williams (Charlie French End) and Bailey opened the bowling and with ball zipping around on a typical Welbeck slow seamer, Slater and Martindale were becalmed. In the 6th over, Slater (1), after plenty of playing and missing, edged Bailey to Hurst behind the stumps, 7 for 1. In the following over, Martindale (6) was lbw to a inswinger from Williams 9 for 2. In the 9th over, Hameed hit Williams for on driven four, the sole boundary for Notts in the powerplay. Three balls later, James (2) shouldering arms was bowled by Williams, 18 for 3. Notts failed to add to their score as they ended a miserable 10 over powerplay on 18 for 3. The decision to bat had already been shown to be the wrong option.

Tom Aspinwall replaced Williams in the 13th over. In the following over, Montgomery (3) was lbw to Bailey , 23 for 4. Balderson replaced Bailey for the 18th over, Hameed hitting his first delivery to the mid-wicket boundary and his third ball was cover driven for four. Hameed (18) fell the very next ball caught behind by Hurst, 42 for 5. Notts innings was tatters, with experienced pair of Hameed and Slater continuing their poor form in the competition.

Two cover driven boundaries for Patterson-White off Balderson saw Notts to 50 in the 20th over. King hit Aspinwall for consecutive offside boundaries, 10 off the 21st over. Sammy King who had played a fine attacking innings in Norwich, impressed during his cameo innings, proving evidence of that unlike the rest of teammates a real ability to give the ball a good whack. He was always looking to be positive, although twice his running between the wickets was called into question, nearly running himself out each time.

In his following over, Aspinwall went for 11 including boundaries for Patterson-White and King. Slow left armer Jack Morley was lofted for six over mid-wicket by King in his opening over, the 24th of the innings. Balderson switched ends for the 25th over. King (37 off 44 balls, 4x4, 1x6) was caught at deep square leg by Lavelle off Morley, 92 for 6 in the 28th over. The 6th wicket stand between King and Patterson-White added 50 in 10 overs. The Notts 100 came up in the 30th over with a single for Patterson-White off Morley. Croft (3-0-9-0) was introduced for the 33rd over. Williams returned this time from the Spion Kop End for the 34th over. Notts lost two wickets in 4 balls. Aspinwall (8-1-34-1) who had come on for the 38th over bowled top-scorer Patterson-White (39 off 50 balls, 5x4) backing away making room, 148 for 7. The 7th wicket partnership had raised 56 in 10 overs. Morley (9-0-43-2) came on and Schadendorf (32 off 39 balls, 4x4) attempting a cut shot last his off bail, 149 for 8 in the 39th over. The frugal Bailey (10-4-22-2) returned for the 42nd over. Hutton hit him for 6 over mid-wicket, nine off the 44th over. Hutton (17) was caught at deep wicket by Williams off Balderson (9-0-36-2), 171 for 9 in the 46th over. Williams returned for the 47th over. Eight came off the 48th over bowled by Balderson including a four through long leg by Loten. Loten (14) was last man to fall caught at deep wicket by Bell off Williams (9.5-1-32-3), 185 all out off 48.5 overs. Paterson 5 not out. A disappointing uncompetitive total with the wicket clearly easing during the Notts innings.

Hutton (Spion Kop End) and Paterson opened the bowling and kept a lid on things with Lancashire making a circumspect start. In the 7th over, Bell (2) skied Hutton and was caught at cover by Slater, 14 for 1. Lancashire closed the powerplay on 24 for 1 off 10 overs. The experienced pair of Jennings and Croft played the situation superbly, taking a mainly risk-free approach adding 102 in 22 overs in batting conditions far easier than first thing this morning..

Jennings hit consecutive boundaries off Hutton (7-1-19-1) in the 11th over and then in the following over he lofted James, who had replaced Paterson, for a straight six. After one over from the Charlie French End, James (5-0-23-0) switched to the Spion Kop End. A straight driven boundary by Croft off Loten (3-0-14-0) saw Lancashire passed 50 in the 14th over.

Montgomery bowled four overs from the Charlie French End and was replaced by Paterson in the 28th over as Jennings and Croft gently chugged along.

Patterson-White, who was introduced in the 23rd over from the Spion Kop End, took two wickets with consecutive balls in the 29th over. Croft (38 off 58 balls, 3x4) was caught behind and Vilas went for a golden duck caught at first slip by Montgomery, 116 for 3. Balderson joined Jennings and saw Lancashire home sharing an unbroken 4th wicket partnership of 71 in 12 overs.

Jennings smashed three boundaries in four balls off Paterson (8-2-35-0), 14 off the 32nd over. Montgomery returned for the 34th over and the spin duo remained on for the rest of the game. Jennings who had been in complete control got to his 100 off 123 balls with three towards the extra cover ropes off Montgomery (8-0-37-0) in the 40th over. In the next over, at 17:21 a four through point by Balderson (31 off 41 balls, 4x4 off Patterson-White (9.5-0-54-2) saw his team to an away quarter-final in Bristol. Lancashire skipper Jennings the rock of the innings finished with 103 not out (off 125 balls, 13x4, 1x6) his second ton in the competition in which he has scored 361 runs @95.50. His form in total contrast to Notts skipper Haseeb Hameed who scored a grand total of 97 runs @13.85, this after registering a first duck against Norfolk. Along with a disappointing campaign for Ben Slater (171 runs @24.42) and the failure to sign an overseas batsman its easy to see why Notts failed to qualify for the final six finishing fifth in the Group A standings.

Notts need a fresh and more ambitious approach to 50-over competition in 2024 with at least 2 games at Trent Bridge top of list. MAG

21/08

The squad is the thirteen left from the original fourteen.

Ben Slater
Ben Martindale
Lyndon James
Haseeb Hamee
Matt Montgomery
Liam Patterson-White
Dane Schadendorf
Sammy King
Brett Hutton
Dane Paterson
Toby Pettman
Fateh Singh

So no return for Samit Patel, dumped by the Rocketters, making one final appearance for the Notts Outlaws before he bites Derbyshire's hand off for a two year contract*. Perhaps he's gambling and saving that last hoorah for The Final, on a bigger stage than out of the way Welbeck. I'm Mick would have given him a lift. Mind you, Samit could have a CPL gig lined-up already.

* if stories are to be believed.

20/08

Qualification for the play-offs is still a possibility for Outlaws; Hampshire beating Kent and Notts beating Lancashire are the results required. Hampshire, in looking for an automatic semi-final berth, will be eager to sweep Kent aside but the Notts part of the equation is the difficult jigsaw piece to fit into place after two defeats at Welbeck this season so far. Should Notts get to nine points, they face a trip to either New Road or Brizzol on Friday.

For Outlaws there won't be Calvin Harrison, after he took a wicket with a quarter of the balls he bowled for the Manchester franchise earlier today, in that shadow tournament, ever ball counts! At least 25% of 'em did for Calvin. So, will Peter Moores announce a squad of thirteen, or will he conjure-up a fourteenth name (perhaps his son's name)?

I would expect Brett Hutton back into the XI for the Original Harrison but could Fateh Singh make an appearance too?