Notts Outlaws 123-170 Leicestershire Foxes (T20 Blast North Group) 21.06.22
Having won the previous match by five wickets a couple of weeks ago, the Notts Outlaws were this time undone by their close rivals Leicestershire in the North Group of the twenty20 Vitality Blast competition.
Desperately needing a win, they were bowled out for a disappointing 123 chasing 171 to win. The Foxes won the toss, and the county struck twice in the first four overs. Lewis Hill, with 39 off 26 balls, and Arron Lilley (23 off 18), boosted the total, but tight bowling meant the hundred only came up in the 13th over.
However, Wiaan Mulder (27 off 19), and quick runs from Ben Mike, who smashed three sixes in his 29 off 12 balls, saw Leicestershire make a reasonable 170 in their 20 overs. Samit Patel (2 for 29 in four overs), was the best of the bowlers, having reached 300 wickets in the shortened format of the game, and Luke Fletcher and Steven Mullaney also took two wickets apiece.
Notts started off well and had reached 50 in the seventh over before Ben Duckett (11), was the second batsman to be dismissed. From there, the county lost wickets at regular intervals, and when top-scorer Alex Hales was caught off man of the match Mike for a sedate 55 off 43 balls (five fours and two sixes), the county were six down for 97 after 15 overs.
The last four wickets fell for 11 runs in 15 balls, as Naveen-ul-Haq finished with 4 for 24, and Callum Parkinson, Mike, and Rehan Ahmed, captured two wickets apiece.
The defeat, their fifth in the last six games, leaves the Notts Outlaws still on seven points from ten games, and a distant eight points behind the leaders and four points from the next placed team above them.
They now face the Derbyshire Falcons and Durham on consecutive days from tomorrow, with the hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals looking very unlikely.
The Nottinghamshire Second XI, meanwhile, returned to the Lady Bay sports club in Nottingham to take on Lancashire in the latest championship game. Notts won the toss and bowled out the opposition for 200 with James Hayes taking 3 for 33 and Joey Evison 3-27.
The county themselves were dismissed for just 186 with skipper Matthew Montgomery top-scoring with 50 off 84 balls. By the end of the second day, the Lancastrians led by 158 runs on 144 for 6 in their second innings.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge Joe Clarke & Alex Hales couldn’t help stop Notts from defeat.
