MO² + GEO² = 74 run WIN
Notts comprehensively beat Leicestershire by 74 runs at a half full Grace Road this afternoon. It was their fifth successive victory and put them top of the Northern Section with four games to play.
Leicestershire won the toss and inserted unchanged Notts in what is undoubtedly The Foxes marquee fixture of the season.
Mike (Pavilion End) opened the match with a maiden to Clarke, the only time that the home side were on top in the contest. Munsey hit Alex Green for successive boundaries. The first a streaky inside edge to fine leg and the second a glorious off driven four; 10 off the over. Clarke hit three consecutive boundaries off the first three deliveries from Wood, then ran a three. Munsey pulled a four through square leg; 19 off the 3rd over. Wood’s sole over of the match. Mike returned and conceded 13 plus a leg bye – Clarke on-driving him for 6 and two balls later depositing him for six over long off. The carnage continued with slow left-armer Trevaskis going for 16. Clarke lofting his opening delivery for an extra cover four and next ball for a six over long off. Four balls later, the Notts skipper pulled him for a lofted four over mid-wicket. Notts had scored 59 in 4 overs. In the 6th over, Alex Green bowled Clarke for a 2026 T20 best of 42 (off 22 balls, 6x4, 2x6 - 60 for 1); six off the 6th over. Notts 65 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.
Munsey took over the scoring mantle, hitting Ahmed for an on-driven boundary and two sixes over square leg; 19 off the 7th over. Notts then lost a bit of momentum only adding 60 off the following nine overs. Haynes (5) drove Ben Green straight to Turner at mid-off (86 for 2). Three plus a leg bye off the 8th over. Mike conceded 6 off the 9th over. Munsey switched hit Rehan for four; six off the over. Notts 100 for 2 off 10 overs.
Munsey hit Ben Green for six over square leg, he then ran a single to reach his 50 off 29 balls. Moores then thrashed a boundary to third man; 15 off the 11th over. Moores hit Rehan for four through backward point; seven plus two leg byes off the 12th over. Moores hit Alex Green for four through extra cover, seven off the 13th over. Trevaskis went for five off the 14th over. Moores (21 off 20 balls), never really hit his stride and chewing up 8 dot balls, was caught at long on by Turner off Alex Green (4-0-27-2; 137 for 3), four off the over. Notts 140 for 3 off 15 overs.
Notts got four off Rehan's (4-0-36-0) last over, but Linde dampened the Hue and Cry over his signing by blasting 55 off 22 balls (5x4, 4x6) with Notts scoring 65 off the four overs with Munsey taking a back seat role.
Linde hit Ben Green for 6 over long on; 10 off the 17th over. Linde hit the expensive Trevaskis (3 0 41 0) for 6 over long off and four and six through square leg; 20 off the 18th over. Linde hit Ben Green (4-0-49-1) for a six over mid-wicket and fours through square leg (ball 3), third man (ball 4) and extra cover (ball 6). The last boundary saw Linde to 50 off 19 balls; 21 off the 19th over. Mike went for 14 in the last over. Munsey hit a Mike no ball for four through point. Linde edged Mike for 4 before being run out by Mike (4-1-32-0) going for a quick single, the bowler hitting the stumps directly. Sixty added for the 4th wicket in 5.2 overs. Munsey ran a two off the last ball – Howell never facing. Notts 209 for 4. Munsey (75 not out off 52 balls, 6x4, 3x6). Now standing on 408 runs @81.60 (strike rate 150.00 per 100 balls) he is the leading scorer in the 2026 Blast. A successor to Alex Hales has finally been found! Notts had an over par total.
Four wickets in the first four overs of the reply killed off the Foxes. The only bright spots for the home side were runs for Nottingham born pair Rehan Ahmed (opening the batting and scoring 45 off 23 balls, 6x4, 2x6) and Ben Mike (39 off 24 balls, 1x4, 3x6).
Rishi Patel (1) was bowled off his pads by the devastating left-armer Amir (Bennett End) ( 2 for 1), 2 off the first over. Kelly (0) played Stone on to his middle stump (3 for 2). Cox hit Stone for four down to long leg, 5 off the 2nd over. Rehan hit Amir for fours through the covers and mid-wicket; 10 off the 3rd over. Cox (5) was caught at short fine leg by Amir attempting a ramp shot off Ali. Turner fell next ball for a golden blob caught behind by Moores off Ali, 19 for 4 off 4 overs. Game over!
Rehan smashed Stone for consecutive fours through mid-off and extra cover . A dot ball followed and Rehan hit him for 6 over backward square leg; 15 off the 5th over . Rehan lofted Ali for 4 through extra cover and next ball smashed him for a six over point; 14 off the 6th over. Leicestershire 48 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.
Rehan reverse swept Linde for 4, seven off the over. Former Notts favourite Joey Evison, on loan from Kent, could only take three off Howell's opening over. Evison (7 off 13 balls) was caught at wide long on by McCann off Linde (58 for 5); 5 off the 9th over. Rehan Ahmed (45) was caught at wide long off by Linde off Howell (64 for 6). Ben Green hit Howell for consecutive fours through extra cover and backward point; 11 off the 10th over.
Trevaskis (5) was caught at extra cover by McCann off Patterson-White (74 for 7), two off the 11th over. Linde (3-0-18-1) conceded 6 off the 12th over. Mike hit Patterson-White (2-0-17-1) for a straight four and a six over long leg, 15 off the 13th over. Green was bowled by Stone for 13 (98 for 8). Mike and Wood added 36 for the 9th wicket in 3.4 overs.
Wood hit Stone (3-029-2) for 6 over mid-wicket; nine off the 14th over. Ali conceded three off the 15th over. Mike hit Howell (3-0-27-1) for a straight six and Wood hit him for a straight four through mid-off; 14 including a leg bye off the 16th over. Mike hit Amir (3-0-22-2) for 6 over mid-wicket but the left-armer got his revenge bowling Mike (39) who made room for a leg side hit (134-9). Alex Green fell for a golden duck bowled middle stump by the ever-excitable Ali with a Blast Best (3.5-0-20-3). Leicestershire 135 all out off 17.5 overs had been well and truly thrashed. Ali is joint top of the wicket-takers in the Blast with 17 wickets @14.76 (7.88 RPO) – the same tally as Northants James Sales.
With Munsey and Ali in fine form and Amir now adding left-arm seam and swing something that Notts have been lacking, its easy to see why they are now riding high after an uncertain start. After initially struggling, Notts could now bag a money-spinning home quarter final. MAG
Difficult to image any changes:
83 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteCracking victory today by Notts . They suddenly look a good side who can actually win a trophy . That’s five Blast victories on the trot - not an easy thing to do . I assume the win today puts them into the final stages of the Blast ? The current performance should ensure a bumper crowd this Friday night at TB
PS - For those that’s missed the Clubs annnouncement - it’s free admission tomorrow to see the last day of the Test with a cracking day in prospect . BUT OF COURSE BEN STOKES WILL JUST BE A SPECTATOR ! Thanks Ben , for all the blood , sweat and tears and thrills and spills a plenty . A ONE OFF !!