Surrey Metro Bank Cup Group A at The Oval Win 4 pts Report

 

FABULOUS FIGHTBACK AND CHASE SECURES QUARTER-FINAL FOR OUTLAWS

Stars Pennington (4-fer) and Munsey (century)

Notts continued their hoodoo over Surrey by defeating them by six wickets and 13 balls to spare in front of a large Oval crowd today. Leading the way was George Munsey with a magnificent 138 (off 132 balls, 11x4, 4x6) ably supported by skipper Haseeb Hameed (51) and Kyle Verreynne (57 not out). Earlier in a reprise of the T20 quarter final Surrey imploded from 175 for 0 in the 30th over to an eventual total of 298 for 8. A combination of good Notts bowling and some pretty average shots from the Surrey batsmen had kept the door ajar.

Surrey won the toss and elected to bat on another hot sunny day. The game was basically a knock out affair – the winnings heading for the last six. They looked on paper the much stronger team with Roy, Sykes and Worrall back from The Hundred and also having the use of Indian test leg spinner Rahul Chahar. Notts meanwhile had Munsey and Pennington back in the Eleven for Tahir and Stone.

Hutton (Vauxhall End) opened with two legside deliveries. The first was glanced for four off the bat of Ryan Patel to fine leg. The second went to the same position but this time off Patel's pad. There was a lot of playing and missing from both Surrey openers but unfortunately no edge. In the 8th over, Patel pulled Pennington for six over long leg. Hayes came on for the last over of the powerplay and conceded five plus four leg byes. Surrey 58 for 0 off 10 overs and looking well placed.

James replaced Hutton for the 11th over and conceded nine and was immediately swapped for Farhan, Patel hitting him for six over mid-wicket. Patel reached his 50 in 36 balls with a massive six over square leg in the 14th over off Hayes. Four balls later, Patel repeated the shot, 13 off the over. A single for Sibley off Farhan brought up the Surrey 100 in the 15th over. Hayes went for 31 in four overs and was replaced by James for the 18th over. Patel, who was now dominating the scoring, hit Farhan for six over wide long off, 10 and a leg bye off the 19th over.

Patel and Sibley carried on their steady accumulation of runs. With Surrey 130 for 0 off 29 overs, McCann replaced Farhan from the Vauxhall End and proceeded to bowl well - all the more mystifying that he did not bowl at Cheltenham. Sibley got to his 50 off 74 balls with a single off McCann in the 25th over. Surrey 154 for 0 at halfway house and in what seemed a near impregnable position

Pennington replaced James for the 28th over with Patel reaching his 100 off 88 balls via a single. It was his second List A ton against Notts having registered a 70 ball 131 against Notts at Guildford in 2021.

The match looked over as a contest but we all had the T20 quarter final in our minds and lo and behold Surrey started to stutter losing three wickets for four runs in 11 balls.

Patel (102 off 91 balls, 7x4, 5x6) was caught on the square leg ropes by Hayes off Pennington; 175 for 1 in the 30th over. Five balls later, Roy (2) charged McCann, missed the ball, and was bowled; 178 for 2 in the 31st over. A poor shot from Rory Burns saw him dismissed for a 5-ball duck caught at long leg by Farhan. Surrey 179 for 3 in the 32nd over. Sibley swept McCann for consecutive legside fours, 10 off the 33rd over.

After bowling seven overs 1 for 35 in his spell, McCann was replaced by Farhan for the 35th over with Surrey reaching 200 via a single for Sibley. Hutton returned for the 36th over and only conceded 10 runs in 4 overs to put a squeeze on the run scoring. Sibley (84 off 105 balls, 9x4) holed out to Seecharan at deep mid-wicket off Farhan, 207 for 4 in the 37th over. Surrey, stuttering now, reached  218 for 4 off 40 overs (the end of powerplay 2).

Sykes hit Farhan for six over mid-wicket, 10 off the 41st over. James replaced Farhan (8 0 54 1) for the 43rd over with Sykes hitting his first delivery for six over square leg, 8 off the over. Hutton (10 0 42 0) went for nine off his last over. Sykes edged James (8 0 50 0) for four just wide off Verreynne's gloves, nine off the 45th over.

Hayes returned and Sykes (26) eyes lit up and he hit him high in the sky, Martindale taking the catch at deep mid-wicket, 259 for 5. Blake (5) was caught at deep extra cover by Hameed off the returning Pennington,  270 for 6 in the 47th over. Chahar (0) lasted 2 balls, edging a short ball from Pennington into Verreynne's gloves, 271 for 7. Thomas (39) fell to a well-judged catch by the diving Hameed at extra cover off Hayes, 280 for 8, 10 off the 48th over. Taylor hit Pennington's (10 0 54 4) last two deliveries for four, the first via a streaky edge, 11 off the 49th over. Hayes (7 0 51 2) conceded four and a leg bye off the final over. Surrey 298 for 8 off 50 overs with Taylor on 13 and Ealham on 8. A stiff target for Notts but a lot lower than expected 100 minutes earlier with Surrey 175-0 off 29.4 overs – the last 20.2 overs had seen 123 runs scored but eight wickets lost. A spirited fightback from Notts reminiscent of their T20 performances earlier this summer.

Worrall (Pavilion End) and Taylor opened the bowling. Worrall had played for Southern Brave at Trent Bridge the previous night. McCann was dropped on 10 by Sibley above his head off Taylor, eight off the 4th over - two fours for McCann. Martindale (6) was caught by keeper Burns diving to his left off Worrall,  19 for 1 in the 5th over. Notts 38 for 1 off 10 overs.

After an opening spell of 5 0 28 0 Taylor was replaced by off spinner Tommy Ealham son of Mark. After an excellent spell of 6 0 13 1 from Worrall on came Ryan Patel. McCann (27) reverse swept Ealham straight to Blake at short third man, 58 for 2 in the 14th over. Chahar came on for the 17th over. Munsey hit Ealham for six over backward point,  9 off the 18th over. Munsey  swept Chahar for two fours, 11 off the 19th over. Munsey got to 50 off 54 balls with a single off Ealham; 95 for 2 off 20 overs.

Sykes and Thomas came on for the 24th and 25th overs respectively.  Notts 120 for 2 off 25 overs.

Hameed hit Sykes for 6 over long off, 10 off the 26th over. Sykes went for 8 in the 28th over, Notts were now above the DLS par score and suddenly thoughts of a Notts victory came into view.

The 32nd over bowled by Taylor proved eventful with 10 runs scored, an overthrow and a controversial dismissal. The 100 partnership came up in 104 balls with a single for Hameed.  Munsey got a five via an overthrow. Next ball Hameed (51 off 49 balls) was dropped on 47 by keeper Burns the ball going for four. His luck ran out next ball when he was given out caught by keeper Burns, the ball appearing to miss his bat and hit him on the top of his pad/thigh guard; 167 for 3 off 32 overs. The 3rd wicket had added 109 in 18 overs.

Worrall returned for the 37th over, a five for Munsey via another overthrow bringing up the Notts 200, 10 off the over. Munsey got to his 100 off 111 balls with a single off Ealham. It was his fifth List A ton – three of which are for Scotland and the other the 108 he scored for Kent at New Road in this competition in 2021.

Munsey hit Worrall for six. Verreynne then cover drove him for 4, 14 off the 39th over. Worrall conceded 37 off his last three overs. Notts 230 for 3 off 40 overs;  22 ahead of the par score. 

Munsey switched hit Chahar for six over point – the shot of the match. Surrey’s heads were now visibly dropping. Munsey lofted Ealham for a straight four and then hit him for a massive six over square leg, 13 off the 42nd over. Ealham (10 0 58 1) conceded four off his 10th over, the 44th of the innings. Verreynne hit Worrall for successive fours, 13 off the 45th over. Verreynne hit Taylor for a lofted four and then a six both over mid-wicket to reach his 50. Munsey’s (138) magnificent match winnings innings ended when he was caught on the mid-wicket ropes by Chahar off Taylor, 286 for 4 in the 46th over. The 4th wicket stand had added 119 in 13.5 overs.

Chahar (10 0 57 0) went for four in the 47th over. Notts needed seven off three overs. The expensive Taylor (9.5-0-70-2) bowled the 48th over, Notts got two singles and then a dot ball to James followed. The fourth ball was hit to the wide third man ropes by James making room. Next ball at 18:13 a clubbed single by James towards mid-wicket saw Notts to the knock out phases. Notts 299 for 4 off 47.5 overs with Verreynne on 57 (off 46 balls, 5x4, 1x6) and James on 8.

A game which will linger long in the memory for those few Notts fans who had made the long trip down to London.

With Lancashire thrashing Somerset it meant that Notts finished third in the Group A table and head to York on Friday with the winner going to Grace Road on Sunday. The strength of the Notts and Yorkshire teams will be heavily dependent on what happens in the Hundred tomorrow night. MAG

Dillon is available again and Munsey replaces Tahir as The General takes roll-call.

Ben Martindale
Freddie McCann
George Munsey
Haseeb Hameed c
Kyle Verreynne x
Lyndon James
Sam Seecharan
Byron Hatton-Lowe
Farhan Ahmed
Brett Hutton
Dillon Pennington
James Hayes
Sam Wood
Tom Giles