Birmingham Bears 98/5-97/5 Notts Outlaws (T20 Blast North Group) 05.06.22
Needing three off the final ball to win the latest Vitality Blast twenty20 match, Tom Moores managed just a single off Craig Miles as the Notts Outlaws lost by the narrowest of margins to the Birmingham Bears.
In a match shortened by rain to just eight overs apiece, the Bears made 98 for 5 in their allotted overs before the county replied with 97 for 5, to lose by just one run.
Nottinghamshire won the toss and Matthew Carter had opener Paul Stirling caught in the deep off the very first ball. However, regular contributions from Jacob Bethell (17 off nine balls), Adam Hose (12 off 6), Carlos Brathwaite (17 off 11), top-scorer Chris Benjamin (36 off 17, four fours and two sixes), and a final over cameo from Alex Davies (14 not out off four balls), took Birmingham to a decent total. Samit Patel was once again the county’s tightest bowler with 2 for 12 in his two overs.
The Outlaws also lost a wicket off the opening delivery when Joe Clarke was caught. Alex Hales and Ben Duckett then put on a rapid 55 off only 21 balls for the second wicket. Hales continued from where he left off the other night by smashing 6,2,6,6, & 6 off consecutive balls as 23 runs came off the second over and 27 off the third.
Duckett, who blasted three sixes in four balls, was caught off spinner Jake Lintott for 22 off 13 balls, before Hales went two balls later for a blistering 30 off only nine deliveries (one four and four sixes). From needing 44 off 30 balls, the Outlaws arrived at the final over still needing 15 to win.
Moores smote a six off the fourth ball, but with one ball remaining six were still needed. Miles then bowled a no ball to Patel as three runs were picked up. However, Moores, who finished unbeaten on 20 from 13, only managed a run off the final ball.
The defeat now leaves Notts sixth in the table with five points from five games. Lancashire still head the North Group on nine points from five, with the Bears in second with eight from six matches. The Outlaws face fifth placed Yorkshire today at Leeds in another day-night encounter.
Meanwhile in other matches involving the Second Eleven, The Outlaws easily beat Yorkshire by eight wickets in a twenty20 encounter, with Joey Evison (74 off 31 balls, ten fours and three sixes), Haseeb Hameed (40 off 32), and Dane Schadendorf (30 off 22), starring with the bat. In the next game against the same opposition, Hameed struck an unbeaten 71 off 53 balls as the match was tied. Ben Slater (30 off 19), and Liam Patterson-White (36 off 23), were also in the runs for the county.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge Calvin Harrison in action for Notts at Edgbaston.
