Billy Root’s maiden one-day century helped power the Notts Outlaws to a 10-run victory over Warwickshire in their Royal London One-Day Cup meeting at Edgbaston.
The 24-year old scored 107 not out as Notts totalled 303 for six, after opting to bat first.
Root faced 93 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes and shared in a wicket partnership of 159, a county record against Warwickshire, with Steven Mullaney, who hit 89.
Mullaney, making his first competitive appearance of the summer, matched his one-day best in a knock that was compiled from 84 balls with 11 fours.
Michael Lumb had earlier given the innings a timely start by blazing his way to 56.
Warwickshire looked on course to chase down their target and were 185 for one at one stage before losing a procession of late wickets to close on 293 for nine.
Jonathan Trott made 104 and Ian Bell scored 51 but were amongst Mullaney’s victims as the all-rounder returned to action with figures of three for 66.
With a century in just his fourth one-day match Root admitted that it had taken most of the day for it to sink in.
“Now that we’ve finished the game and we’ve won, there’s a lot of relief. At the time, I didn’t really have time to think about it, as it happened so quickly.”
The left-hander went from 82 to 100 in five hits but he said that he hadn’t really been concentrating on getting to three figures as it was the last couple of overs of the innings.
“I wasn’t looking at the board at the time, so it just sneaked up on me really. I was just thinking if he bowls one here I’ll sneak it away here and if he bowls it there I’ll sneak it away there and so on.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work like that but luckily for me it did today.
“It was lovely walking back in the dressing room, there was a lot of love and a lot of high-fives. It was a nice place to be.”
Warwickshire kept a tight lid on things at the start of the match with both Rikki Clarke and Jeetan Patel sending down maidens before Lumb got into his stride.
The left-hander eased any early tension by then hitting both bowlers for maximums and lifted Clarke over extra cover for a second time to move into the 30s.
Riki Wessels had been content to play second fiddle in the early stages and had only made eight when he moved across and lost his leg stump to Keith Barker.
For the third time in four matches Notts ended their first powerplay with 43 runs on the board but they soon lost a second wicket as Samit Patel, who scored 17, fell to a catch at deep square leg off Oliver Hannon-Dalby.
Lumb’s fourth six, a mighty blow off Hannon-Dalby, brought up his fifty, made from 58 balls with two boundaries as well.
Brendan Taylor made only six, which included a swept boundary off the leg spinner Josh Poysden. Attempting a repeat, he was sent on his way leg before wicket.
Poysden then inflicted what could have been a terminal blow to the Outlaws’ chances by also having Lumb lbw but the unexpected fightback was about to begin.
With the best part of 30 overs remaining, Mullaney and Root set upon their recovery mission quietly, although Poysden did serve Root up a juicy full toss first ball, which was emphatically despatched to the ropes.
With Bell rotating his attack and defending his boundaries a steady passage of ones and twos allowed the partnership to blossom.
Without offering a glimmer of a chance the pair closed in on a century partnership after just 14 overs together, being brought up by Root hitting Hannon-Dalby for his second, third and fourth boundary, all in the same over.
The previous county best for the fifth wicket against the Bears – 125 by Richard Hadlee and Basharat Hassan in 1982 – came and went – and as they nudged past 150 Mullaney equalled the score he registered at Scarborough last year, against Yorkshire.
Throwing the bat in a selfless-attempt to pick up valuable runs Mullaney was bowled by Barker, who then had Chris Read caught in the deep for nine.
With ten balls of the innings remaining Notts were on 275-6, with Root on 82 but a four and a three left him on 89 at the start of the final over.
Hannon-Dalby was scooped over the ‘keeper’s head for four, then slogged over midwicket for a maximum before Root took the uncontested single to bring up three figures from 91 balls.
Getting back on strike he hit a further bomb over midwicket and into the stands to take the total beyond 300, as the final over went for 19.
Trott and Sam Hain provided the perfect platform for a successful run chase by flying out of the blocks with an opening stand that reached three figures in just 16.3 overs.
The visitors had used all four quicks and Patel’s spin by that stage but a true surface and fast outfield gave all the batsmen full value for their strokes.
The express pace of Pattinson undid Hain for 37, as the Australian thudded the ball into his pads. That left Trott and Bell together for an epic passage of play.
With the speedsters Broad and Pattinson bowling against the classy Trott and Bell it was high-quality and very engrossing cricket for a while.
On 75 Notts thought they’d got Trott as Luke Fetcher threw down the stumps but the umpire found in favour of the batsman.
Trott’s hundred came from 106 balls, with thirteen fours but he was nearly run out again when a shy from Patel narrowly missed the stumps.
Mullaney’s spell altered the course of the match. He had the centurion chipping to Wessels at midwicket, then trapped Bell lbw for 51.
Pattinson yorked Mathew Lamb and suddenly the momentum had shifted to the Outlaws.
The required run rate began to rise towards double figures, with 84 needed from the last 10.
Tom Ambrose swished across the line and was bowled by Mullaney and then the returning Gurney got amongst the wickets, having Clarke caught by Read for 25 and Barker caught by Wessels for 7
The last over began with 16 needed but Fletcher repeatedly found the block-hole and helped himself to two run outs as both Jeetan Patel and Poysden surrendered their wickets.
Notts were already celebrating with 13 needed from two balls and deservedly celebrated a huge win together at the end.
Notts move on to four points from four matches and face Leicestershire next, at Welbeck on Sunday.