03/07
NOTTS PILFER THEIR SIXTH WIN FROM LANCASHIRE'S GRASP
Notts gained a remarkable one run victory over Lancashire at Trent Bridge last night to record their sixth consecutive T20 victory. Needing 21 to win off the last three overs with six wickets left Lancashire seemed certain to win. But Ali bowled an outstanding 18th over only conceding two and removing the big hitting Shadab. When Amir went for 10 off the penultimate over, Lancashire seemingly had the game in both hands. Then Stone who had only bowled one over all night which went for 15 kept his nerve and only went for seven runs and Notts had burgled the game.
Lancashire won the toss and elected to bowl. Both teams were unchanged.
The out of form Clarke (2) was caught and bowled by Livingstone (Pavilion End) 4 for 1 after 1 over. Another poor game followed for the captain; he performed two bad misfields in the Lancashire innings and then an easy catch missed on the ropes in the last over appeared to have cost Notts the game.
Jimmy Anderson conceded just a single off the 2nd over. Haynes pulled Livingstone for four through square leg and Munsey hit him for a straight six; 14 off the 3rd over. Munsey on drove Anderson for four, six off the 4th over. Munsey guided Aspinwall for four successive boundaries through extra cover, mid-wicket, mid-on and mid-off; 17 off the 5th over. Haynes guided Anderson for a straight six, 11 off the over. Notts 53 for 1 off 6 overs.
Haynes (17), attempting a sweep shot, was lbw to Shadab Khan (56 for 2), three off the 7th over. Munsey switch hit Livingstone for four through point, eight off the 8th over. Tom Moores whipped Shadab for a straight four, eight off the 9th over. Blatherwick went for six singles. Notts 78 for 2 off 10 overs.
Munsey reached his 50 off 37 balls with an offside single off Shadab. Moores lofted Shadab for four just over the head of Blatherwick at extra cover, 10 plus a leg bye off the 11th over. Moores thrashed Blatherwick for four through cover point but the former Notts man removed Munsey (51 off 39 balls) caught low down at mid-off by Anderson (95 for 3). Linde hit his first delivery for four through backward point, 10 off the 12th over. Tom Moores hit Aspinwall for four through wide third man to bring up the Notts 100. He repeated the feat two balls later, 10 off the 13th over. Livingstone (4 0 32 1) went for six off his last over. Linde hit Shadab (4 0 40 1) for six over mid-wicket and swept him for four towards long leg. Next ball Linde blasted another six over mid-wicket; 19 off the over. Notts 134 for 3 off 15 overs.
Tom Moores hit Blatherwick for four through mid-wicket, six plus a leg bye off the 16th over. Linde hit Aspinwall for a four through mid-on. Tom Moores (40 off 28 balls; 6x4) was caught by cousin Joe on the mid-wicket ropes off a Aspinwall full toss (147 for 4); 10 off the 17th over. The 4th wicket had added 52 off 4.4 overs. Howell hit Blatherwick for six over backward square leg and next ball a four through long leg. Howell (12) perished next ball caught by bowler Blatherwick (4 0 34 2) catching the skier running towards mid-wicket (161 for 5); 12 off the 18th over. Aspinwall (4 0 43 1) conceded six off the 19th over. Linde (37) was caught running towards the legside by keeper Hurst after top edging Anderson (172 for 6). McCann (why so late in the order again?) switched hit Anderson (4 0 28 1) for four through third man. Next delivery a conventional sweep went to the same area. McCann ran a leg bye off the last ball. Notts with a competitive 181 for 6 off 20 overs with McCann on 8 and Patterson-White on 6. Slow left-armer Tom Hartley neither batted nor bowled in the match. Was this because Notts had five left-handers who came out to bat? If so, why did he play?
Skipper Keaton Jennings on drove Amir (Radcliffe Road End) for four, five off the first over including a leg bye. Jones hit Stone for consecutive fours through mid-wicket and third man. Two balls later, Jennings lofted him for four through mid-off; 15 off the 2nd over. Jones hit Ali for four through extra cover; seven off the 3rd over. Jennings hit Amir for two sixes over mid-wicket in three balls. Two balls later Jennings hit him for four through extra cover, 16 off the 4th over. Jones (16) was stumped off Linde's first delivery (43 for 1), two off the 5th over. Jennings hit Ali for four through square leg. Livingstone hoisted Ali luckily for four through third man. Lancashire 56 for 1 off 6 overs.
Livingstone hit Linde for six over square leg, 11 off the 7th over. Jennings hit Howell for six over long on, nine off the 8th over. Notts badly needed a wicket. Then the well-set Jennings (42 off 29 balls; 4x4, 3x6) was caught by substitute Pocklington at long off off Patterson-White (78 for 2); four off the 9th over. Livingstone hit Howell for six over mid-wicket; eight off the over. Lancashire 88 for 2 off 10 overs – well set for victory.
McDermott swept Patterson-White for four through long leg; 11 off the 11th over. Howell went for eight in the 12th over. McDermott hit Linde (3-0-27-1) for six over mid-wicket. Then Livingstone smashed the South African for four through point; 14 off the 13th over. Ali then went for six. Lancashire 127 for 2 off 14 overs needing a routine 54 off 6 overs with 8 wickets standing.
Patterson-White broke the 49-run partnership when he had McDermott (24) caught on the mid-wicket ropes by Haynes; 127 for 3. Left-hander Joe Moores, just 17, and of similar stature and technique to his cousin came in at five ahead of the much more experienced Shadab and showed little nerves. Off his third ball he reverse swept Patterson-White (3-0-24-2) for six over point, nine off the 15th over. Joe Moores then hit the expensive Howell (4 0 40 1) for six over mid-wicket. Two balls later Livingstone (47 off 31 balls, 2x4, 3x6) hit him for six over mid-wicket. But in attempting a repeat shot off a slower ball from Howell, Livingstone found McCann on the mid-wicket ropes who smartly parried the ball to Patterson-White who caught the chance; 149 for 4, 15 off the 16th over.
Shadab edged Amir for four and hit him for four through mid-wicket, 10 off the over. Lancashire 161-4 off 17 overs needed just 21.
Ali, was not only the best bowler on the night but Notts best bowler in the competition. He mixed up his pace in over number 18. Shadab ran a leg bye off the first ball; a well-pitched up delivery fooled him striking him on his pads but the lbw shout was turned down with the ball drifting towards leg. Ali flummoxed the inexperienced Moores who took four balls to obtain a single. Shadab (10), starved off the strike, holed out to Stone at long on, one plus a leg bye off Ali's (4 0 25 1) last over. Lancashire 163 for 5 off 18 overs – 18 needed off 12 balls.
Amir (4-0-40-0) having a disappointing night bowled the penultimate over. Moores hit ball number 1 to Howell at extra cover, who made a good diving stop to prevent the boundary, a single was run. A single followed for Hurst. Moores flicked Amir for 4 towards third man – a brilliant shot. Amir went pace off for the next ball, Moores attempted the same shot and missed. Moores hit Amir for two to mid-wicket off ball five. Off the last ball, Moores swatted Amir to mid-wicket. Stone fielded it and Amir failed to take the return cleanly and Hurst who should have been run out got home for two. Nine required off the last over.
Stone who had only bowled one over all innings, bowled over number 20. He opened with a short ball that Hurst ran a leg bye off. Next ball, Joe Moores on 27 hit a wide short ball straight to Clarke at long off who dropped a sitter – the batsmen scampered a two. Six needed off four balls. Moores got one to third man off ball three. Next ball, Hurst somehow got a thin edge to a brilliant reverse swinging yorker from Stone. Ball number five, saw Moores (30 off 21 balls, 1x4, 2x6) caught low down at mid-wicket by Haynes (178 for 6). Now for the first time since the early stages of the Lancashire innings, Notts were favourites. Blatherwick needing to hit the last ball for four. He hit two to mid-wicket to Howell who threw the ball into Stone. Blatherwick (2*) never went for three, Hurst was sent back and was well short of his ground and was run out for 2. Stone (2-0-21-1) conceded six plus a leg bye off the momentous over. Notts had won after a breathless finale by a single run and remain top of the table. The only previous one run victory was via the DLS Method at a dark and dank New Road two years ago when Alex Hales (50*) led the run chase. Notts have won three T20 games by two runs.
The ever-reliable Munsey was named man of the match. He has now scored 459 runs @76.50 (strike rate 147.58), 15 runs behind Warwickshire’s Beau Webster in the leading run scorers.
Top of the table Notts head to Durham tomorrow in what could be Ali’s last game for Notts until mid-September. Ali is being tipped to be included in the Test squads for the upcoming Pakistani tours of the West Indies and England which will be announced very shortly. MAG
Squad:
Former Notts players Jack Blatherwick and Paul Coughlin are included in the Lancashire squad.
There has been no announced reason why the same squad that travelled to Grace Road won't be the squad for Friday night [with the exception of James Hayes who's been loaned out to Bristol]!
Notts might be top at the moment, but nothing is decided. 5 loses would quite likely be curtains for Notts but only Derbyshire having lost the grip of a win at Chesterfield [tied with Yorkshire], are repeatedly bashing the calculator and getting the same wrong answer each time.
That's going to go down as one of the finest wins in recent history.
ReplyDeleteSuperb ! All 11 Well Dine
ReplyDeleteDone even. LPW must be close to England call.
ReplyDeleteKorky the cat 🐈⬛
DeleteEngland 🏴 - please keep your paws 🐾 🐾 off our players !
Yes indeed, bowling superb just needs to add a few more runs to his game.
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