Notts Outlaws 184/6-183/8 Durham (T20 Blast North Group) 01.07.22
In what turned out to be skipper Dan Christian’s final match at Trent Bridge in the twenty20 competition, the Notts Outlaws gave him a triumphant farewell as they beat Durham by four wickets in the latest round of Vitality Blast matches. The Australian, who has twice led the county to the domestic t20 trophy success, played a minor part with two catches, one run out, and four overs for 37 runs – but a non-appearance with the bat.
Durham won the toss and batted first, hobbling to 32-2 after five overs with Jake Ball picking up two wickets, before rallying to 86-3 after ten. Steven Mullaney captured two wickets in the twelfth over, and when opener Michael Jones (41) was dismissed at the end of the 15th over, the score was on 128 for 6. However, useful contributions down the order, mainly from Brydon Carse (25), and Ned Eckersley (23 not out), helped Durham reach 183 for 8 after 20 overs.
Skipper Ashton Turner had earlier hit a sprightly 33 off 18 (three fours and two sixes), but the county’s two opening bowlers, Ball (3-39), and Mullaney (3-25), took the main honours.
Joe Clarke and Alex Hales got the Outlaws off to another great start with 53 for the first wicket in only 4.2 overs, before the latter with 26 off 14 (two fours & two sixes), was caught. With Clarke reaching 51 off 30 (two fours and five sixes), the total had already reached 108 by the start of the 11th over.
The reliable Ben Duckett, with an unbeaten 53 off 34 balls (five fours and one six), and with the aid of Lyndon James (20 off 12, two sixes), Tom Moores (four fours in a six-ball 16), and Sol Budinger (ten off four), easily saw Notts to their target with three overs to spare.
Despite the wonderful victory, the Notts Outlaws failed to qualify for the next stage of the competition as the result at Leicester did not go their way. They lie seventh in the North Group table with 13 points with one game left to play against Worcestershire tomorrow.
Wicket-keeper batsman Dane Schadendorf struck a 100-ball 104 as the county safely drew their second eleven game with Yorkshire. Replying to Nottinghamshire’s 534, the visitors amassed a huge record-breaking 814 for 7 declared.
The 20-year old Yorkshire batsman Finlay Bean was the star on show with a monumental 441 off 518 balls, the first ever quadruple century innings in the history of the second eleven competition. He struck 52 fours and three sixes as the county tried out all eleven bowlers.
Batting a second time, captain Matthew Montgomery added 95 to his first innings century facing 111 balls and hitting 16 fours, and putting on a match-saving partnership of 160 with Schadendorf, who smashed 13 fours and four sixes, at the Lady Bay Notts Sports Club ground.
*Article provided by Hitesh Darji (Cricket Correspondent)
*Main image @TrentBridge Dan Christian waves goodbye to the Trent Bridge crowd.
