Notts Outlaws A-A Northamptonshire Steelbacks (T20 Blast North Group) 30.05.22
Persistent showers caused the abandonment of Nottinghamshire Outlaw’s latest twenty20 match against Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Trent Bridge yesterday. The county were on 140 for 6 after 18 overs when the rain came to stop play, giving both sides a point each.
The Outlaws came into the match having won their last four twenty20 encounters with the Steelbacks, and after a late start, were put into bat by the visitors. Joe Clarke was soon caught for three by the end of the second over, and after Alex Hales had smashed two sixes in consecutive balls off Tom Taylor, he was also caught two overs later for 15. Ben Duckett gave Matthew Kelly his second wicket as the county limped to 34-3 after five overs.
The fifty came up in the eighth over, and with Tom Moores going for a brief 19 off 16 balls, the home side arrived at the halfway mark with 75 runs on the board. Samit Patel was looking in good nick, and with a few boundary hits saw the 100 arrive in the 14th over, with his personal tally on 44 off 34 balls.
He then upped the tempo with four successive boundaries off Taylor to bring up his 50 off just 36 balls, and when he was caught off Kelly, he had made a rapid 63 off 44 balls, containing eight fours and two sixes. During his knock, he had passed 6000 career runs in twenty20 cricket.
Steven Mullaney fell in the same over to give Kelly the excellent figures of 4 for 29 in his four-over spell. Skipper Dan Christian hit a six off Graeme White to end on nine off four balls, as Notts reached 140-6 after 18 overs, before the weather had the final say.
Notts are nevertheless second in the table on run-rate with three points from two games. The Birmingham Bears still lead the North Group after three wins from three games, and the Outlaws now face nearest rivals Lancashire Lightning in the next match at their home ground tonight, starting 6:30pm.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge the covers were on at Trent Bridge on a wet night in Notts.
