LIBBY AND SMITH CENTURIES GIVE SECONDS VICTORY

Three centurions on the day and a successful run chase brought Nottinghamshire an eight-wicket victory at the Notts Sports Club in their 2^nd XI Trophy match against Northamptonshire.

The visitors won the toss and decided to bat first, opening with Charlie MacDonnell and Akhil Patel, the pair reaching 41 in eight overs before Ben Kitt struck twice in the ninth.

With the first two balls of his over he had MacDonnell caught behind by Tom Moores for 16 and Charlie Thurston trapped LBW first ball.

David Murphy joined Patel but the latter was out first ball of the 16^th over when he was caught by Anuj Dal off Matt Carter’s bowling, falling for 28 and brining Saif Zaib to the crease.

A fourth wicket partnership developed, both batsmen reaching their fiftie, Murphy’s coming off 52 balls and Zaib’s 60 as they completed the 100 partnership in the 34th over.

However Murphy (55) was out next over, trapped lbw by Will Gidman before Carter dimissed Leo Carter for 11, Northants moving to 214-5.

Tom Burton was next in but in the 44^th he was caught by Kitt off Sam Wood’s bowling before Zaib went to his century from 107 balls including eight fours and one six.

However, he was finally out for 121 in the 49^th when he fell to a catch by Adam Tillcock off Luke Fletcher before Joe Dawborn (9*) and Joe Ellis-Grewal (20*) batted out the remaining ten balls allowing Northamptonshire posting a total of 284-7.

The Nottinghamshire reply came from Michael Lumb and Jake Libby who made a solid start, taking the score to 80 by the 16^th over.

Lumb went to his fifty off just 59 balls but he couldn’t add any more runs, bowled by Ellis-Grewal with Greg Smith joining Libby who was unbeaten on 23.

They took the score past the hundred mark, both going on to complete their fifties, first Libby in the 28^th over off 72 balls before Smith went to the landmark in the 32^nd, off just 47 balls as the score cruised to 171-1.

They reached the 250 mark in the 46^th over and next over Libby was the first of the pair to a century, coming off 125 balls and including six fours.

Three balls later he was caught at deep mid-wicket by MacDonnell off Ben Sanderson’s bowling and Will Root joined Smith with twenty balls remaining in the innings and still 29 runs off the target.

They reached their target with the last ball of the 49^th over as Smith despatched a six over the pavilion to complete his century from just 96 balls and to finish 104*.