Captain Dan Christian has hailed the match-winning partnership of 132 in 13.2 overs between Samit Patel and Brendan Taylor that helped Notts Outlaws win the domestic T20 competition for the first time at Edgbaston.
Patel hammered an unbeaten 64 not out from 42 balls and Taylor added 65 from 49 balls as they blitzed their way to a Club record fourth-wicket stand in the shortest format – beating the 98 Riki Wessels and Taylor made against Durham in 2015.
It rescued the Outlaws from a perilous position of 30-3 and, with a late 24 off eight balls from skipper Christian, they amassed 190-4 from their 20 overs.
The total proved too much for the Bears as they could only manage 168-8 in reply, with Harry Gurney taking T20 career-best figures of 4-17.
“Every time Riki Wessels and Alex Hales have missed out, someone in the order has stood up and got a good total.”
“At 30-3, I wasn’t overly confident, but Samit and BT stepped up, and we’ve been great like that all year,” said Christian.
“We’ve been in situations like that where every time Riki Wessels and Alex Hales have missed out, someone in the order has stood up and got a good total or won the game for us.
“So it was no surprise that they did what they did. To be able to bat for as long as they did and really set a platform to come out and play a few shots at the end and put the cherry on the top was a fantastic effort from the both of them.”
Australian Christian admitted that he was surprised just how many runs the Outlaws were able to put on the board in what was the highest score amassed from all six innings on Finals Day.
He added: “We weren’t thinking anywhere near 190 at halfway…we were 73-3 after 10 and we said if we could get 90 off the next 10 and get up to 160 then we thought it would be a pretty competitive score.
“So to get 190 was obviously very pleasing. Sam Hain batted really well for the Bears and he made it look like a good wicket, but I think that 190 was just too much in the end.”
Christian admitted it was a tough decision to omit Stuart Broad from the team with the England man having been made available to play by the ECB.
“There was a temptation to play Stuart because, like Samit, he is a big game player. Being an international and a great presence around the group which was great all the way through the (50-over) one-day tournament.
“Samit loves games big games and big occasions.”
“We certainly thought about it, but at the balance has been so good this year with having Jake and Harry up top, myself and Steven Mullaney bowling some medium pacers in the middle and then the spinners doing a great job as well.”
Patel’s all-round good form in all formats has led to calls in some quarters to be given an England recall, and Christian believes the all-rounder has the ability.
Christian said: “He’s definitely good enough from what I’ve seen. He loves games big games and big occasions and stands up when we need him to.
“I don’t see why we wouldn’t succeed in an England shirt.”