Notts Outlaws Head Coach Peter Moores has declared himself ‘pleased’ with his team’s work-out during two practice games at Grantham CC today (Wednesday).
The Club took a strong squad to Lincolnshire to play in two Second XI Twenty20 North Division games against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
A raft of senior players were given game time ahead of the start of the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday night at the Yorkshire Vikings (6.30pm), including T20 captain Dan Christian and fellow overseas player Ish Sodhi.
“It’s been a good day for us and I’m pleased that so many players have got useful run-outs when we’re looking to make the transition from 50-over cricket to 20-over cricket,” said Moores. “There’s nothing quite like match practice.”
“Michael Lumb has got some time out in the middle and some runs, as have Steven Mullaney Brendan Taylor and Greg Smith. Ish Sodhi has got to know his team-mates a bit better and Dan Christian has been able to put his stamp on things as captain.
“We’d like to thank Grantham because the ground looked lovely and there were quite a few watching – they did a really good job for us.”
In the first match, Northants batted first and were 166 all out in the final over of their allotted 20. Saif Zaib, with 41, and Chesney Hughes, with 29, top scored for the visitors as Luke Fletcher finished with 4-31, included three wickets in his final over, and Samit Patel took 3-34.
In reply, Notts were reduced to 40-4 before Lumb and Mullaney took control by sharing a century stand which carried the hosts to the cusp of victory.
Opener Lumb fell just five short of a century, but Mullaney, who made 44 not out, and Tom Moores, who was unbeaten on 9 not out, saw the Outlaws home by five wickets with 2.1 overs to spare, as they reached 170-5.
It was the Outlaws who won the second game too – and by a more emphatic margin. Choosing to field first, they restricted the Steelbacks to 131-6 as the wickets were shared around.
Brett Hutton claimed two and Luke Wood, Jack Blatherwick and Will Root one each, while Liam Patterson-White effected a run out. Zaib was again the Northants top scorer with 58.
It took the Outlaws 19 overs to knock off the runs required for victory, which they did while keeping nine wickets in hand.
Brendan Taylor hit the final ball for a boundary to finish on 49 not out and take the score to 135-1, while Greg Smith ended on 60 not out.
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