Adam Voges hit a magnificent six off the second ball of the final over as Notts Outlaws secured a four wicket win over Yorkshire Carnegie.
Chasing 141 in a game reduced to 15 overs a side after a rain delay, Will Jefferson helped the Outlaws to a solid start with an assured 41 before he was caught on the boundary off the bowling of England captain Michael Vaughan.
Richard Pyrah rocked the middle order, catching Samit Patel for 21 off Darren Gough before bowling Chris Cairns and Chris Read. He held a superb first-ball return catch off Mark Ealham to put Notts under increasing pressure but Voges held his nerve and hit the winning runs with Bilal Shafayat for company.
“We’ve made an excellent start and it’s nice to see a player who reads situations, looks unflustered and picks the right balls to play proper cricket shots in Adam Voges,” said Notts Coach Paul Johnson.
“He wasn’t slogging and made it a comprehensive win in the end.
“We said in the dressing room that we would be putting ourselves under pressure if we lost the first game and this result will help to get us back into the routine of Twenty20 cricket and hopefully this is the start of some momentum for us in the competition.”
Outlaws captain Chris Read, whose 25 included a huge six off Pyrah after a change of bat, was similarly delighted by the contribution of the Australian batsman.
“We’ve got a good mix of guys that can hit the ball out of the park and intelligent batsmen who can build a score and Adam falls into both categories,” said Read.
“I wanted to finish it with an over to spare to avoid panic in the final over but momentum is key in one day competitions.
“We’re happy with the start that we’ve made and we’ll try and make it two out of two tomorrow.”
Notts Outlaws Twenty20 Cup Ticket Information
Notts Outlaws face Durham Dynamos at Trent Bridge on Saturday June 14 (play commences at 2:30pm).
Tickets are available on the day priced £15 for adults, £15 for senior citizens, £8 for juniors and £38 for families (two adults and two children).
Discounts of up to £3 per ticket are available on advanced tickets for home group fixtures at Trent Bridge when purchased before 4pm the day before each game.
Advance tickets cost £12 for adults, £7 for juniors and senior citizens and £31 for families (two adults and two children).
Groups of ten or more can buy tickets for the special price of £9.60 each in advance in person or by phone from the ticket office.
Group tickets are not available online and must be purchased before 4pm the day before the game.
Tickets are available on the day priced £15 for adults, £15 for senior citizens, £8 for juniors and £38 for families (two adults and two children).
To book, call 0870 168 8888 or buy online from the ticket section of the website.
Group tickets and season passes are only available from the ticket line.