Fourth wicket partnership leads Outlaws to victory

 BLAST 11 | Notts Outlaws 156 for four v Leicestershire Foxes 154 “ Outlaws won by six wickets

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Notts Outlaws 2, Leicestershire Foxes 0

REPORT | An inspired Samit Patel half-century steered the hosts to victory after coming to the crease with Outlaws on 39 for three.

A 99-run fourth-wicket partnership steadied the Outlaws ship before Slater departed two runs shy of his maiden T20 half-century of the 2021 Vitality Blast campaign.

It was an evening full of milestones ahead of the clash with Notts Outlaws, as Gavin Griffiths made his 50^th T20 appearance for the Running Foxes, as well as Alex Hales making his 300^th career T20 appearance and Ben Slater making his first T20 appearance for Outlaws.

The news from the middle was that Steven Mullaney won the toss and opted to bowl first, with the Running Foxes opening the batting.

It took just three balls of the game before Patel claimed his first wicket of the evening, as Duckett caught Steel’s nick behind for 0(1b).

The Running Foxes looked to have settled following the early wicket of Steel and were on their way to completing their powerplay with nine wickets in hand.

However, with two balls of the first six remaining, Ball got the better of Lilley who was looking in good touch with two fours and two sixes already, and bowled the Leicestershire man for a 20-ball 27.

The Foxes’ powerplay came to a close on 47 for two.

The fifty was the brought up after the skipper’s second run of the match, as he turned Mullaney into the leg-side for a quick single.

Two balls into the eighth over and Harrison claimed his first wicket of the match, as Inglis drove him into the hands of Hales at long off for 18(18b).

Harrison then struck with his next ball as Ackermann guided his delivery straight back to him for a caught and bowled opportunity, and the skipper was dismissed for 4(6b). The Foxes ended the eighth over on 55 for four as Swindells denied Harrison of his hat-trick after defending him into the leg side.

The halfway point of the innings was reached with Hill and Swindells carefully rebuilding the innings, with the Running Foxes sat on 66 for four.

Hill then brought the twelfth and thirteenth overs to a close with two huge sixes, over midwicket, off Mullaney and Carter respectively, as the Foxes ended both overs with double-figure scores.

Hill (19, 13b) “ who was looking to provide some momentum for the Running Foxes “ was caught on the rope in the next over though, by Harrison as he looked to pull Carter away.

Another wicket fell in the next over, as Harrison pinned Patel infront for 2(3b) for his third wicket of the day.

Swindells (36, 30b) was caught out by Ball’s slower ball in the seventeenth over as he top-edged it high into the sky and was pouched comfortable by Mullaney coming round from cover.

Mike went on to do what Swindells intended to and then sent Ball back over his head for six from the very next ball of the over.

The next wicket was lost in the eighteenth over as Fletcher exacted his revenge on Parkinson (9, 7b), after the Foxes man carved him away for four from the first delivery of the over.

Fletcher struck with the final ball of the over as Parkinson feathered one through to Duckett.

Mike then cracked Ball over long on for his second six of the evening, before Naveen was run-out from the final ball of the penultimate over with the Foxes on 146 for nine.

A first four of the evening from Mike opened the final over the innings and the wicket of Griffiths (1, 2b) brought it to an end as he was caught behind by Duckett off Fletcher as the Running Foxes ended their first innings on 154.

The Outlaws got their innings underway in explosive fashion, with the duo of Duckett and Hales recording 28 from the first two overs.

The third over saw the Running Foxes fight back, as Parkinson claimed the wicket of Duckett (20, 9b), as Mike caught the pull shot on the boundary.

The next over saw two further Outlaws wickets fall as Naveen struck with his first ball of the contest. The first wicket to fall was Hales as the batsman guided one to Patel at backward point, who took the grab to dismiss the batsman for 13 from seven balls.

Two deliveries, but one legal ball later and Naveen claimed his second wicket with an absolute jaffa. The Afghani pitched his delivery outside off and crashed it onto the top of the middle stump to dismiss Trego for a golden duck.

Nottinghamshire’s powerplay came to an end with identical fours from Slater off Naveen, with the hosts on 58 for three.

The duo of Slater and Patel were proving a tough partnership to break as we approached the halfway point of the hosts’ innings but, the Running Foxes were presented with a chance to do so.

Patel lofted a Steel delivery to Ackermann at short midwicket, who jumped to reach the ball and seemed to have it in his grasp, all for the ball to squirm out of his hands at the last second.

The halfway point was then reached with the hosts on 84 for three.

The partnership's fifty was then brought up as Slater pulled Griffiths away for his fourth four of the evening, in the eleventh over.

Patel then brought the Outlaws’ ton up from the first ball of the twelfth over, as he sent Steel over midwicket for his second maximum.

The Foxes then spurned another chance to break the partnership, as Slater cut Mike’s delivery to Steel at backward point who could not hang on to the catch.

Patel then accelerated his scoring to bring up his fifty, with it coming in 40 balls and including four fours and three sixes.

This was promptly followed by Slater’s wicket, just shy of his half-century on 48 off 31, as he was pinned infront by Parkinson. 

The fifth-wicket partnership of Patel and Mullaney, though, saw the hosts through to victory without trouble as Patel cut Naveen away through the off side for his sixth four of the evening, bringing up the three runs required.

Outlaws ran out winners by six wickets.

FIGURES | Patel 4-0-24-1, Carter 2-0-25-0, Ball 4-0-32-2, Fletcher 4-0-31-3, Mullaney 2-0-18-0, Harrison 4-0-20-3

Parkinson 4-0-32-2, Ackermann 2-0-21-0, Naveen 3.5-0-44-2, Griffiths 3-0-22-0, Steel 4-0-24-0, Mike 1-0-13-0

FOXES | Ackermann (C), Griffiths, Hill, Inglis (wk), Lilley, Mike, Naveen, Patel, Parkinson, Steel, Swindells

OUTLAWS | Hales, Duckett (wk), Slater, Trego, Patel, James, Mullaney, Fletcher, Carter, Harrison, Ball

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallet of Outside Off for supplying images throughout the game.