Despite a career best score of 90 not out from Samit Patel, Notts Outlaws were beaten by 40 runs in their latest NatWest T20 Blast fixture, against Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley.

After being asked to bat first the home side were powered towards their eventual total of 209 for four by a career-best 70 from wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd and a brutal innings of 92 not out from Glenn Maxwell.

In pursuit of their highest-ever victory chase the Outlaws lost wickets in each of the first three overs before rallying to reach 169 for six, largely due to Patel’s clean ball striking.

Maxwell’s runs, earlier, had come from only 48 balls and included eight fours and five sixes, whilst Hodd celebrated his highest-ever T20 score after being called into the Vikings side at the very last minute.

He wasn’t even in the squad until Jonny Bairstow was summoned to report to Durham to cover for injured England stopper Jos Buttler but once he arrived in the middle, promoted to number three, he powered his way to his first fifty in 57 T20 matches.

James Taylor was again released to play for his county side by the ECB and won an important toss as the Outlaws gave a debut to recent Australian signing Dan Christian.

Things began well. It took only ten deliveries for the visitors to strike the first major blow of the evening with the dangerous Aaron Finch chopping onto his stumps, off Jake Ball for only six.

Finch had scored 89 in the corresponding match last year and Notts were clearly happy at his early departure but Hodd, his replacement, was immediately into his stride as he pulled Harry Gurney for six, to get off the mark.

Christian entered the attack in the fifth over and nearly pulled off a brilliant caught and bowled as Hodd drilled the back towards him. The reflex effort would have raced to the boundary but for the intervention.

In the sixth over Andrew Gale was caught on the fence for 20, as Patel ran round from deep midwicket towards long on to execute the diving catch. Bowler Luke Fletcher was then hit away for another Hodd maximum as the Vikings moved on to 55 for two at the end of the powerplay.

Glenn Maxwell hit Patel for six over deep extra and Hodd repeated the dose down the ground to move into the 40s for the first time in T20 cricket.

Hodd punched Christian through the off side for his fifth boundary in the 13th over, to bring up a half century from 27 balls, which also included four sixes.

He shouldn’t have got much further, but was reprieved when Steven Mullaney spilled a chance at long off from Patel’s bowling.

Maximums flew from the bat of both batsmen as their stand reached 101 from 57 balls but Hodd then chipped Patel into the hands of James Taylor at cover.

Maxwell hit his Victorian team-mate, Christian, for a four and a six at the start of the 17th over to bring up his own 50 (33 balls 3x4 3x6) but this was just a prelude to an astonishing run of boundary hitting.

He even improvised to hit the ball to the fence after appearing to turn his back on a ball from Gurney and shovel it away behind him.

Gurney bowled Ballance in the final over but Maxwell got back on strike to hit 12 from the final three deliveries to give Yorkshire their highest T20 score.

After just 16 deliveries of the reply Notts were in serious trouble, with three of their top order batsmen out. Michael Lumb fell to the first ball he faced, hitting straight back to Maxwell at the end of the opening over.

Riki Wessels then edged a snorter from Tim Bresnan and Hodd took the catch leaping above his head and the ‘keeper then clung on to a Brendan Taylor snick off Matthew Fisher.

James Taylor showed some defiance as he hit Bresnan for back-to-back sixes and when Patel lofted Patterson into the stand at the football end it took the score to 44 for three after six overs.

The pair extended their stand beyond fifty in the ninth over but Taylor then picked a losing battle as he lofted James Middlebrook to Maxwell in the deep, to depart for 32.

Christian hit his first ball for four but only made six before hitting a return catch to Middlesbrook, who was then put over the ropes twice by Mullaney.

94 were needed from the closing six and that was immediately reduced as Patel reached his 50 with a six off Bresnan (36 balls 4x4 3x6).

A 50 stand took only 4.3 overs but was ended when Mullaney holed out for 20, off Maxwell.

Patel ran out of time in his chase to become the first Outlaws batsman to score a century in the format but he did pass his previous best and closed on 90 not out, made from 59 balls, with five fours and five sixes.

Notts Outlaws’ record in the North Group now stands at three wins and four defeats from their seven matches. Next weekend they have a double-header, facing Derbyshire Falcons away on Friday evening before entertaining Northants Steelbacks the following day.

 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast Fixtures & Ticket Information

v Northants Steelbacks – Saturday 27 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Worcestershire Rapids – Friday 3 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Derbyshire Falcons – Friday 10 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS

Need more information? Call our ticket office on 0844 8118711.