The Essex Eagles are the visitors to Trent Bridge on Monday night for the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final and the fourth-placed team in the South Group will aim to spoil the Outlaws’ eight-match winning run after edging into the knockout stages.
Without an overseas player for the majority of group stages, the Eagles have relied on the experience of Ravi Bopara and Graham Napier and the exciting young talents of Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence to secure a quarter-final slot.
At the top of the order, Westley has 395 runs at a strike rate of 128.24, including an unbeaten 74 when he and Bopara combined to down Kent for the second time in July, continuing their late run for the knockout stages.
England Lions right-hander Westley leads the boundary hitting charts for the Eagles, smashing 53 fours and three maximums during his 13 knocks.
However, the six-hitting prize goes to Ashar Zaidi, formerly of Sussex, who cleared the ropes on 22 occasions on his way to 357 runs in the 14 group games.
A career-best 59*, from just 24 balls, against Middlesex at Lord’s was one of three fifties as the 35-year-old averaged 44.62 and achieved a strike rate of 167.6, the best of the Eagles batsmen.
Former England all-rounder Bopara has once again been influential with bat and ball, making 273 runs and adding ten wickets with his mixture of slower balls in the middle overs.
Teenager Dan Lawrence has been integral to the Eagles’ efforts, amassing 222 runs and taking ten wickets with his leg-spin at the top of the innings.
Leading the wicket taking charts for the visitors is 36-year-old Graham Napier, who is retiring at the end of the season after 20 years with the club.
The one-club man has showcased all his experience to take 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of just 17.45 and a strike rate of a wicket every 11.8 balls.
Add to that the all-round capabilities of Ryan ten Doeschate (226 runs and five wickets), the explosive nature of Jesse Ryder (167 runs) and pace of Matt Quinn (16 wickets), and the Eagles will arrive at Trent Bridge full of confidence on Monday.
Notts Outlaws will face the Essex Eagles in the quarter-final of the NatWest T20 Blast, with a 6.30pm start on Monday 8 August at Trent Bridge, and tickets are on sale now.