Notts Outlaws 247/6-153/9 Derbyshire Phantoms (T20 Blast North Group) 23.06.22
After their recent disappointing performances in the twenty20 competition, the Notts Outlaws turned on the style to thrash Derbyshire Falcons by a convincing 94 runs, after pummelling their highest ever total in the short format of the game.
Batting first after being put in, Alex Hales got off to his customary fast start with 21 runs (41466) off the second over as Nottinghamshire raced to 33 without loss after two overs. He struck four more boundaries in the next two overs as the fifty arrived in just 3.4 overs.
With a four and six in consecutive balls off Mattie McKiernan, Hales got to his half-century off 22 balls, before being caught next ball for a blistering 55 with eight fours and three sixes. After five overs the score was on 68 for 1.
Joe Clarke then went on a run off three boundaries off three balls, and smashed a six off the first delivery of the eighth over as the hundred total arrived. However, four balls later he was caught and bowled for a quick 38 off 17 balls (six fours and one six).
Ben Duckett continued the onslaught with his own three boundaries off consecutive balls, as the Outlaws ended the tenth over with 124 on the board, and his own score on 27 off 15. With Steven Mullaney joining in the free-flowing run scoring, the 150 came up in the 13th over.
Mullaney was set to reach his own fifty as he blasted three successive sixes off George Scrimshaw before being caught next ball for 45 off 20 (3 fours & 4 sixes). At the end of over number 15, the total had already reached a mammoth 188 for 3. Duckett crashed a boundary off McKiernan as his fifty came off 31 balls, just a ball before the 200 was reached after 16.3 overs.
Duckett eventually fell for 63 off 38 balls (8 fours & 1 six), and with Tom Moores (20 off 8), smacking four boundaries in the final two overs, Nottinghamshire ended their allotted 20 overs with a massive 247 for 6.
Derbyshire were never in the hunt, losing their first two wickets in the space of three balls, and despite a half-century stand for the fourth wicket between Hayden Kerr and Leus du Plooy (35), lost three more wickets for six runs, before ending up on 153 for 9.
Samit Patel continued his fine bowling form in this year’s competition with 3 for 32 including two wickets in two balls, and Mullaney had the tidiest spell with 2-17 in four overs. However, it was Zak Chappell, playing in his first t20 game of the season, who impressed with 3 for 28 in his four overs, including the important scalps of skipper Shan Masood and du Plooy.
The victory still leaves the county on just nine points from 11 games, five points behind the fourth placed team in the North Group of the Vitality Blast, and looking very unlikely to qualify for the next round.
The county’s second eleven team were also triumphant beating their Lancashire counterparts by six wickets in the latest championship game. Chasing 224 to win, captain Matthew Montgomery took Notts home with an unbeaten 88, putting on a match-winning partnership of 102 with Freddie McCann (51), who was having his first championship match for the side.
Earlier, Lancashire had been bowled out for 209 in their second innings, with James Hayes taking 5 for 40, to give him eight wickets in the match. Ben Martindale (31), and Sammy King (30 not out), also helped towards the county reaching the highest total of the match and the victory.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge fans at Trent Bridge got a real home team treat.
