After defeat at Worcester on Friday night, Nottinghamshire Outlaws bounced back with two victories, on Saturday night against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston before a win in the sun against Lancashire on Sunday at Trent Bridge.
On Friday despite home advantage, Notts were beaten by the Vitality Blast North Group leaders Worcestershire who emulated their ‘Rapids’ nickname to produce a whopping 226/5 inside twenty overs.
Notts falling way short, reaching 170 all out with ten balls to spare.
Despite defeat, Alex Hales hit 71 off 35 balls but in Birmingham a day later he was bowled out for just one, although thankfully Joe Clarke (89 not out) and Colin Munro (87) took the reigns to help Notts reach 214/3 at the close of their innings.
That ‘official’ score was actually cast into doubt as the scorers seemed to miss a run off the last ball, thankfully though it didn’t prove too costly as Birmingham fell eleven short of target for the Outlaws to steel victory. Shaheed Afridi taking 3 for 39 whilst Jake Ball took 3 for 41.
On Sunday it was a double header as the Blaze thrashed Sunrisers in the Charlotte Edwards T20 Cup.
Nat Sciver-Brunt reaching 58 whilst Sarah Glenn scored 43 adding to the 41 opener Tammy Beaumont had scored, Blaze reaching 198/6 before bowling Sunrisers out with 84 runs to catch. Two wickets a piece for Sciver-Brunt, Glenn, Sophie Munro and Nadine de Klerk with Grace Ballinger also notching in a good team bowling display.
Remarkably the Blaze are unbeaten this season having won all six of their T20 games so far, they sit top of the table as they do in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint fifty over tournament, having won three and had two no results in the five games they’ve had scheduled so far.
Following that Blaze of glory on Sunday afternoon, Notts bowlers went into Lightning attack as they dismantled Lancashire for just 145 in 18.3 overs.
Spinner Matt Carter taking 3/26 whilst Harrison 2/19, Brooks 2/22, Afridi 2/25 and Patel 1/28 gave Notts a reasonable target to hunt down.
In response, Joe Clarke and Alex Hales got quickly off to work, Clarke going first for 42 off 24 balls with Notts 58/1 before Hales went for 17. Munro quickly followed for 14 before further wickets for Patel (14) and Montgomery (19). Tom Moores and Steven Mullaney seeing the side over the line with an over and a ball to spare, Notts up to third in the table with a good chance of qualifying for the quarter finals, if only still at the halfway stage of the groups.
Next up for Notts, fourth placed Durham come to Trent Bridge on Thursday, before then, the Blaze are in action on Wednesday at Western Storm in Cardiff.
*Main image @TrentBridge Steven Mullaney & Tom Moores celebrate victory over Lancashire.
