Derbyshire Falcons 178-182/3 Notts Outlaws (T20 Blast North Group) 03.06.22
After their disappointing loss to Lancashire a few days ago, the Notts Outlaws got back to winning ways in the twenty20 Vitality Blast competition on the back of an amazing innings from opener Alex Hales, who blasted 91 off only 33 balls.
Smashing 12 fours and five sixes, Hales helped the Outlaws beat Derbyshire by seven wickets with nearly three overs to spare. The home side made 178 in their 20 overs with Jake Ball taking four wickets, before Hales single-handedly saw the county to a comfortable victory, making his runs out of 125 in 9.1 overs.
Having been put into bat by Notts, Derbyshire made a good start with 61 runs for the first wicket, before Wayne Madsen (40 off 30 balls), and top-scorer Leus du Plooy (51 off 34), produced 78 runs for the third wicket.
However, from 144-2 in the 17th over, the Falcons collapsed dramatically, losing their last six wickets for nine runs in nine balls, their last five for only four runs. Ball was the main beneficiary with a spell of three wickets in four balls from the final over, and Australian James Pattinson plucked out two batsman in the previous over.
Samit Patel was once again one of the Outlaw’s tidiest bowlers with one for 25 in his four overs, and Calvin Harrison had figures of 1-19 in three. There was no repeat of their disastrous start the other night as Hales and Joe Clarke (25 off 20), butchered 119 for the first wicket off only 51 balls.
Hales showed some of the old magic with three fours and a six off a George Scrimshaw over as the fifty came up in the fourth over, and then a run off 4, 4, 4, 4, and 6 off six balls as 26 came off a Sam Conners over. Hales had reached an incredible 74 off only 25 deliveries, and the Notts total 95 in just six overs faced, with his 50 coming off 18 deliveries.
With two more sixes, he looked to be heading for one of the fastest hundreds in twenty20 history before he was caught in the tenth over with the county now needing a comfortable 54 off 65 balls. With no pressure, it was an easy task for Ben Duckett (20 off 11), Tom Moores (22 not out), and Patel to ease the county home with 17 balls to spare.
The victory sees the Notts Outlaws fifth in the North Group table with two wins from four games. Lancashire are top with four wins in five games with the Birmingham Bears second on six points. Yorkshire and Northamptonshire also have five points together with the county but are ahead in the table on run-rate.
The Notts Outlaws now travel to Edgbaston to take on the Bears tomorrow hoping to continue their good form.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge Alex Hales was once again in scintillating form.
