Background

Notts Outlaws return to white ball action on Friday evening when they travel to New Road to face Worcestershire Rapids in the NatWest T20 Blast competition (5.30pm start).

The Rapids are currently enjoying a successful campaign, sitting in second place in Division Two of the LV= County Championship and topping the North Division of the T20 Blast.

The Outlaws currently lie in fourth spot in the table, four points behind the leaders but with a game in hand.

Head To Head

Worcestershire recorded their first victory over Notts Outlaws earlier this season, winning for the first time in their five meetings.

Before this year the two counties had only met on four previous occasions in T20 cricket, usually having to play their qualifying matches in different groups.

Those clashes in 2010 and 2011 – two home and two away – were all won by the Outlaws, with two 6-wicket successes, as well as victories by 10 runs and 25 runs.

That all changed in May with the New Road side triumphing in Nottingham.

Last Time

On 23 May 2014 Worcestershire Rapids defeated Notts Outlaws by 24 runs at Trent Bridge.

The visitors scored 163-6, their highest score in the format against Notts.

All eight batsmen that made it to the middle had a strike rate of 100 or over, with Alexei Kervezee making 43 from 36 balls, Ross Whiteley 34 from 26, Colin Munro scored a bullish 31 from 22 and Moeen Ali 28 from 20.

Ajmal Shahzad and Andy Carter each claimed a couple of wickets and Notts would have been confident of chasing down their target at the interval.

Things didn’t go as planned, though. When Alex Hales fell for 39, to the final ball of the 10th over, Notts were 71-3 at the halfway stage.

Samit Patel made 41 but the middle and lower order wilted against the spin of Saeed Ajmal (2-21) before Chris Russell knocked over three wickets to end with 3-32, his best figures in the format, as Notts limped to 139-9.

History

Worcestershire are, along with Derbyshire, one of only two counties yet to advance all of the way to our domestic T20 Finals Day. Their best run in the competition is to the quarter final stage, which they have reached on three occasions, most recently in 2012.

Notts Outlaws lost in the 2006 Final and went out at the semi final stage in 2010.

Played For Them Both

Phil Jaques played 18 matches in this competition for Worcestershire between 2007 and 2010. The Australian, currently on the staff at Trent Bridge, scored 445 runs at an average of 31.78 whilst with the New Road side, registering three half centuries and a top score of 78 not out.

Alex Hales spent a brief period on loan to Worcestershire, earlier this season, playing one championship match and making scores of 15 and 63 against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Others to have played for both counties in recent years include Chris Tolley, Bobby Chapman, Paul Pollard, Nadeem Malik, David Lucas and AJ Harris.

Stats

Highest Team Total

Notts 167-6 (20) (Trent Bridge 2011)
Worcs 163-6 (20) (Trent Bridge 2014)

Lowest Team Total

Notts 139-9 (20) (Trent Bridge 2014)
Worcs 113-9 (20) (New Road 2010)

Highest Individual Score

Notts 66* AD Hales (New Road 2010)
Worcs 67 MM Ali (Trent Bridge 2010)

Best Bowling

Notts 3-12 SJ Mullaney (New Road 2012)
Worcs 3-28 Saeed Ajmal (New Road 2011)

T20 Debuts

Notts - nil

Worcs RA Jones (Trent Bridge 2010)

Did You Know?

Notts Outlaws may include their new overseas signing, James Franklin. The 33-year old has played in 31 Tests, 110 One-Day Internationals and 38 International T20 matches for New Zealand. He has been allocated squad number 47 for Notts.

Milestones


Samit Patel has scored 2,481 runs in T20 cricket, Chris Read has taken 48 catches in the format and James Franklin has made 149 T20 appearances.

Tickets

Please see the official Worcestershire County Cricket Club website for details about matchday ticket pricing.

Coverage

BBC Radio Nottingham will be providing live ball-by-ball commentary from New Road on Friday or follow the links on the BBC Sport website for on-line coverage.

Trent Bridge Live will feature a live ball-by-ball scorecard and blog for all Notts Outlaws fixtures. 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast fixture and ticket information:

v Yorkshire Vikings – Saturday 28 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Leicestershire Foxes – Sunday 20 July 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

Want the best seats in the house? Call 0844 8118712 for hospitality or click here for our £30 steak, chips and cricket package.