A career-best 90 not out from England’s Graeme Swann ensured Notts Outlaws broke their duck in this season’s Twenty20 Cup as they thrashed Derbyshire Phantoms by eight wickets.
After tremendous bowling by Ryan Sidebottom helped restrict the hosts to 158-5, Swann went on the attack from the moment he came to the crease, smashing two sixes and 13 fours in a 47-ball innings.
The 30-year-old was ably assisted by Adam Voges, who made an unbeaten 45 in a third-wicket partnership of 112, but the innings was dominated by Swann, who hit the winning runs off Tim Groenewald with 29 balls to spare.
It represented a tremendous reversal following the disappointment of defeat against Durham and Lancashire in the opening two fixtures and Swann was delighted to have made an impact in what will be his last appearance in the competition this season as he prepares for the start of the ICC World Twenty20 with England.
He said: “It’s been great to have been back among the lads for the past few days and I’m delighted to have been able to help get that first win.
“We needed the victory to get things going and we’ve managed to do that. Hopefully this will spark some of the guys into life and they can go on from here.
“I’m quite lucky to be given the licence to go in and throw the bat around from the start. Against Lancashire I was caught on the boundary going for the hook but here everything came off the middle.”
Swann claimed that the pitch was the best he had ever played on at the County ground and that Derbyshire’s total represented a good effort from his team-mates, with Sidebottom conceding just 13 runs off his four overs and also taking the wicket of Garry Park.
Sidebottom and Darren Pattinson kept things tight at the start of the Derbyshire innings, with Pattinson removing the Phantoms in-form skipper Chris Rogers for a duck.
Opening batsman Greg Smith and former West Indian international Wavell Hinds accelerated in the middle overs with a third-wicket partnership of 115 before Swann ended Hinds’ aggressive knock of 66, and tight overs at the close from Mark Ealham, Luke Fletcher and the returning Sidebottom robbed the hosts of their momentum.
For the third match running a wicket fell in the opening over of the Outlaws innings, with Ali Brown being caught driving at Graham Wagg.
Swann had an early slice of luck with an edged drive over point but then pulled Wagg for six, while Alex Hales was caught behind after a couple of pleasing drives of his own.
The introduction of Tim Groenewald was greeted with four fours off his first four deliveries by Swann, who brought up his 50 off just 24 balls with another six over square leg.
With a flying start, Notts were able to work the singles during the middle period, although they did have one stroke of luck when Voges was dropped by Hinds.
The pair continued to close on the target, with Voges hitting Smith for two fours and a six in the 13th over and victory was completed off the first ball of the 16th over.
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