With ten matches scheduled in the space of two weeks, the Friends Life T20 was always going to be a challenge for the Outlaws in 2008. Although the first six matches resulted in four wins out of five finished games for the Outlaws (with rain ensuring one was abandoned without a ball bowled), four straight defeats in the second week of the competition unfortunately meant an unsuccessful campaign.

Despite the aforementioned slip-up, the first four victories of the season were largely convincing, with the positive result against the Derbyshire Falcons the most comprehensive of all. Having restricted the home side to just 114, with all five front-line bowlers recording commendable figures, the Outlaws' run chase never looked in doubt. The innings started in the best of ways through Adam Voges and Will Jefferson, both openers passing 40 before losing their wickets.

Jefferson and Voges both fell just short of half centuries, scoring their runs at strike rates of 95 and 128 respectively. Any fears that both of these men getting out could spark a mini-collapse were, however, put firmly to bed thanks to the efforts of Samit Patel and Chris Cairns, who saw the men from Trent Bridge home with 3 and a half overs to spare. 


Arguably the turning point of the 2008 campaign came at home against Lancashire. Having posted a competitive 151 from their allocation, the Outlaws were unable to continue their run of positive results due in no small part to the efforts of Faf Du Plessis. Striking 57 from just 37 deliveries, the South African broke the back of the run chase, seeing Stuart Law's side over the line in the final over of the game.

The following game against Leicestershire at Grace Road was always likely to make or break the Outlaws' season, and falling just 5 runs short here was, in the end, too much to recover from. While the Foxes' top three were all removed for single figures, a significant partnership between Paul Nixon (42) and Jim Allenby (57) got the home side up to a below-par 131. Even the most pessimistic of Outlaws fans would not have predicted the batting collapse that was to follow.

Adam Voges once again batted well, but six wickets fell at the other end before he was trapped LBW by Jeremy Snape and Nottinghamshire were left on 120–7. Only eleven runs short going into the final stage of the game, the away side were only one maximum blow away in the end, finishing five runs short with 126 all out. Such a disappointing defeat proved to be decisive in finishing the Outlaws season, as they lost to both Lancashire (26 runs) and Yorkshire (9 wickets) in the final two fixtures.

Unable to deliver on a very promising start to the campaign, Notts failed to progress past the group stage for a second year running. Some scintillating cricket was cancelled out by some that was distinctly average, but the very nature of T20 cricket often leads to such inconsistency. The Outlaws side would hope for a more consistent campaign in 2009, and perhaps a more forgiving fixture list.

 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast fixture and ticket information:

v Birmingham Bears – Friday 13 June 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Derbyshire Falcons – Friday 20 June 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Yorkshire Vikings – Saturday 28 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Leicestershire Foxes – Sunday 20 July 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

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