Leicestershire Foxes Vitality T20 Blast North Group at Trent Bridge Win 4 pts

 

OUTLAWS SECURE HOME QUARTER

Notts secured a lucrative home T20 quarter final last night following their six-wicket victory over Leicestershire and Yorkshire’s surprise 22 run defeat to Lancashire at Old Trafford.

On another baking night. Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat in front of a crowd of 8,127. The pitch the same one used the Tuesday’s T20 international proved troublesome to bat on with the batsmen struggling to time the ball. Notts won the contest by bowling less loose balls and by having superior fielding.

Notts gave a T20 debut to the strapping 6-foot 6 left arm Sri Lankan seamer Kodimarakkalage Binura Udara Fernando or Binura Fernando for short. The “Ragama Rambo” impressed on his debut after conceding 14 in his opening over, the next three went for 13 taking two wickets along the way. He replaced Mohammad Ali, now in the Caribbean with Pakistan.

Leicestershire made an encouraging start racing to 37-0 after 3 overs. Ben Green hit Amir (Radcliffe Road End) for four through extra cover and fellow opener Eskinazi hit him for a lofted four through mid-wicket, 12 off the first over. Ben Green smashed Stone for a six over wide long on and Eskinazi hit him for four over wide long leg; 11 off the 2nd over. Fernando's second ball was hit for six over mid-wicket by Green. Two balls later, Fernando was guided for six over long leg by Eskinazi; 14 off the 3rd over. Green (21) holed out to Stone running in from long off, George Linde the bowler (40 for 1). Sheridon Gumbs, the left-handed Loughborough student making his T20 debut hit his first two balls from Linde to the backward point ropes; 11 off the 4th over. Amir conceded four singles off the 5th over. Gumbs (11), failed to make further incisions, being bowled leg stump via a well-pitched up ball from Fernando off the last delivery of the powerplay, 54 for 2 off 6 overs.

Patterson-White went for six singles off the 7th over. The Hampshire bound Rishi Patel (11) edged Linde for four and then reverse swept him for four. Next ball, he was bowled by a turning delivery from Linde (68 for 3) which pitched middle and removed his off stump; ten off the 8th over. Six balls later, Ashton Turner (2) was bowled by Patterson-White making room (73 for 4). Cox swept Patterson-White for four through long leg, seven off the 9th over. Eskinazi guided Howell for a four through third man and then a four through point; 12 off the over. Leicestershire 89 for 4 off 10 overs. They got bogged down from this point only scoring 54 in their second half of the innings.

Cox (11) swept Linde to Howell at backward square leg (92 for 5), four off the 11th over. Howell (2 0 17 0) went for five off the 12th over. Patterson-White conceded four off the 13th over. Ruan De Swardt, the South African left hander playing for the Foxes as locum for Nick Kelly, pulled Stone for four through square leg and then a four through long leg. Next ball trying to repeat the shot he gloved Stone (2 0 20 1) with Moores taking the catch; 111 for 6 off 14 overs. Patterson-White (4 0 21 1) went for four off his last over.

Evison reverse swept Linde (4 0 31 3) for four, six off the 16th over. Amir conceded four off the 17th over. Evison (9 off 14 balls), appearing to be low on confidence, was caught on the point ropes by Haynes off Fernando (126 for 7), four off the 18th over. Fernando being serenaded by the cheesy 1976 Abba hit of the same name.

Davey hit Amir (4 0 26 0) for a straight four, six off the 19th over. Eskinazi hit Fernando (4 0 28 2) for four through extra cover. A two for Eskinazi brought him his 50 off 40 balls. Leicestershire 143 for 7 off 20 overs with Eskinazi on 51 (4x4, 1x6) and Davey on 9. Eskinazi had batted throughout the Leicestershire innings but had only faced 41 balls – 34% of balls bowled.

Notts needed to score 144 @7.20 RPO. Clarke lofted Davey for a four through mid-off. Clarke was dropped on 5 - an absolute sitter to Alex Green at short third man failing to catch the top edge which gently fell from the sky; seven off the first over. Clarke guided Hull for an extra cover four, 8 off the 2nd over. Clarke hit Davey for four through backward point, seven off the 3rd over. Clarke lofted Ben Green for four through mid-on, ten off the 4th over. Munsey (8) was caught on the square leg ropes by Gumbs off Hull (36 for 1). Clarke hit Hull for four through extra cover, nine off the 5th over. A legside ball from Davey went for four leg byes. Haynes hit Davey's next ball for a mid-wicket four. Clarke was dropped on 29 by Turner diving to his right low down at mid-off. Notts 53 for 1 off 6 overs.

Clarke (31) was caught at deep extra cover by Evison off Turner’s offies (56 for 2); 4 off the 7th over. McCann (2) soon departed caught on the square leg ropes by Patel off Alex Green (59 for 3), four off the 8th over. Haynes put away a legside long hop by Turner for four through backward square leg, nine off the 9th over. Haynes hit Ben Green for four through backward square leg, six off the over. Notts 76 for 3 off 10 overs.

Moores hit three successive boundaries off Evison (mid-wicket and two through point), 15 off the 11th over – Evison’s only over of the game. Haynes lofted Turner for four through extra cover, five off the 12th over. Haynes (29) was caught at long leg by Hull off Alex Green (98 for 4), five off the 13th over. Moores hit Patel’s assorted slow Pukka Pies for six over long off and then Linde hit a long hop for four through extra cover, 12 off the 14th over. Moores pulled Alex Green for four through square leg. Moores smashed Alex Green (3-0-18-2) for four through mid-off; 10 off the 15th over. Turner (4 0 24 1) conceded six off his last over. Davey (4 0 27 0) went for five off the 17th over. Moores hit Ben Green (4-0-25-0) for a straight six, nine off the 18th over, At 21:22, off the second ball of the 19th over, Moores (51 not out off 33 balls, 5x4, 3x6) clubbed Hull (2.2-0-23-1) for a six over mid-wicket to win the game for Notts with 10 balls to spare. Notts 149-4 with Linde 18 not out. Moores, had played the best innings of the night, his sheer brute strength and fast hands negating the grudging surface. The unbroken 5th wicket stand had added 51 off 5.5 overs.

Notts’, after their eighth successive win, are guaranteed to top the Northern Section and will head into the Wednesday quarter-finals as either second or third seed. The start time of the game will be determined by result of tonight’s game Miami.MAG

This game has banana skin written all over it. Outlaws, already through to the knock-out stages, facing the least well performing county in the group...

No Mohammad Ali, so can we expect the Ragama Rambo to debut?

Announced squad:

Joe Clarke

George Munsey

Freddie McCann

Jack Haynes

Tom Moores

George Linde

Benny Howell

Joe Pocklington

Mohammad Amir

Dillon Pennington

Ben Martindale

Olly Stone

Liam Patterson-White

Ben Martindale

Binura Fernando