Notts Outlaws are on their way to Edgbaston for the NatWest T20 Blast. Here, BBC Radio Nottingham’s Dave Bracegirdle charts a personal journey…
Yorkshire Vikings (Leeds – lost by 48 runs)
Lord’s? Who will ever forget that day. I expected us, with all due respect, to beat Glamorgan in the 2013 final, however that match panned out.
This time I wasn’t so certain. Like them or loathe them, Surrey have a squad of talented players and on their A game are perfectly capable of beating anyone, so the performance of Alex Hales and co made the win even sweeter and the subsequent beer-drenching and hangover all worthwhile.
One down, two to go – and barely had the Royal London One-Day Cup been lodged in the Trent Bridge trophy cabinet before the players were boarding the coach to begin their next campaign.
It is one of the great mysteries that the Outlaws haven’t managed to lift the domestic T20 crown, considering the players they’ve had at their disposal over the last 14 years.
I’ve been there when they’ve lifted the Barbados T20 Cup and the Emirates Airlines T20 Shield in foreign climes, but we all know their significance in the grand scheme of things.
So, with just a handful of days to put the euphoric scenes from Lord’s to the back of their minds – and somehow to cram in a little bit of practice – Notts Outlaws began their 2017 quest to lift their Holy Grail away at Headingley.
It’s never been my favourite ground – and there’s lots more matches to talk about, so let’s park this one right there, shall we?
Birmingham Bears (Edgbaston – lost by 6 wickets)
So, things didn’t go well at Headingley. The Yorkies rattled up the most T20 runs that anyone had ever scored against Notts and the home supporters lapped it up under their pretty little clover-shaped floodlights.
24 hours later (you remember how this year’s schedule was going to be more carefully thought out?), yes, 24 hours later – Notts were at Edgbaston to face the Birmingham Bears – or Burrs as Mr Flintoff calls them.
A cricket match took place that evening, it is there in the record books – but it might as well not have been because there was only one thought on anyone’s minds then and for the next few days.
Notts made 158-6, with a half century from Samit Patel. I thought they were perhaps 20 runs light, but we’ll never know how the game would have panned under normal circumstances because from the opening ball of the fourth over Luke Fletcher was injured, struck on the head by a blow from Sam Hain.
All thoughts from then on were understandably focused on the well-being of the Bulwell Bomber. The players left the field – some in obvious distress. Being honest, it wasn’t easy for either Robin Chipperfield or myself to commentate on the rest of the evening – but thankfully all the indications were that Fletch would be ok.
I could have understood perfectly if Notts had opted to concede the contest there and then, although I understand that was never an option.
Indeed, I am assured that Steve Davis, the former Australian Test match umpire, who was the Cricket Liaison Officer that night (a sort of match referee), was prepared to call it off as a No Result, with one point each.
Dan Christian led his troops back out after a stoppage of around 45 minutes and the contest was played through to a conclusion. The Bears nearly bottled it in the last over, with Notts almost forcing a run out from the final ball which would have produced a tie. No-one really cared, though – ‘How is Fletch?’ was all that mattered.
Derbyshire Falcons (Trent Bridge – won by 5 runs)
I’m not a fan of long gaps between matches in the cricket season, but the 13 days that elapsed between the Edgbaston match and the Outlaws’ next encounter presented the squad with an opportunity of being able to come to terms with a number of significant factors.
Fletcher’s injury was the first thing to deal with. Thankfully, he was a very fortunate lad and, although advised not to play again this season, had a lucky escape.
On the heels of that issue, came the unexpected news of two retirements. Hardly any of the players or staff had any idea why Michael Lumb wanted them all to gather in the Larwood and Voce where, unexpectedly, he broke the news that his recurring ankle problems were forcing him to call time on a great career. One of the most hard-working and dedicated pros, it was hard for anyone to comprehend, and I understand there were a few tears shed.
Barely had that news been broken when Greg Smith announced that he was stepping away from the first-class game. I suspect – no, I know – that we didn’t see the best of this very amiable fellow in a Notts shirt, but it’s worth remembering that he hit the winning runs in each of the first two Championship successes this season.
The break also enabled the entire squad to get away from cricket for a few days before returning, refreshed, for some dedicated white ball practice.
That practice certainly paid dividends,. Notts rattled up 227-3, their highest T20 score, with Riki Wessels scoring the county’s first century in the format.
Fittingly, perhaps, the recuperating Luke Fletcher – summarising on the BBC Radio Nottingham commentary – described the moment when Wessels reached three figures.
Northants Steelbacks (Trent Bridge – won by 12 runs under the DLS method)
A little cruel on the defending champions, as play was halted after just 5.1 overs of the Outlaws chase, due to rain. Thankfully, openers Hales and Wessels had just nudged ahead of the required rate to secure back-to-back wins.
Durham Jets (Riverside – won by 9 wickets)
A blend of brilliance from the Outlaws attack and below-par batting from the hosts ensured an early trip back down the A1.
Durham were bowled out for 123, with six different bowlers sharing the wickets. The top order chased down the moderate target in a professional manner, with Brendan Taylor sealing the win with the only six of the night.
Worcestershire (Trent Bridge – lost by 13 runs)
Ross Whiteley is a mighty-smiter, of that there is no doubt. He needed just 16 balls, five of which were belted over the ropes, to race to an unbeaten 42 as Worcestershire ran up 208-8. Joe Clarke’s 60 from 27 balls wasn’t too shabby either, as the Pears downed Notts for the second time this season.
Alex Hales made 63 and Riki Wessels hit 49, but their side came up just short, although a tasty little undefeated knock of 26 from 9 balls from Tom Moores clearly provided food for thought.
Lancashire (Sainsbury’s at Cheadle Hulme – Abandoned)
It was pouring with rain when Colin Fray and I left BBC Radio Nottingham in a brand-new company motor, with only one thousand miles on the clock. We made it across the A50 in driving rain and a torrential downpour accompanied us halfway up the M6.
It was still chucking it down during the 45 minutes of the journey that we were stationary due to the heavy Friday afternoon motorway traffic – a period that coincided with me taking the wheel – and we were only 10 minutes away from Old Trafford when we got a couple of calls to say the match had been abandoned.
One of Colin’s many apps got us lost and we re-surfaced in the car park of Sainsbury’s at Cheadle Hulme. A coffee and a chocolate muffin temporarily revived spirits before we drove back home – in persistent rain. This showbiz lark is all glamour.
Yorkshire Vikings (Trent Bridge – won by 5 wickets)
An innings of the highest quality from Alex Hales steered Notts to a famous victory and their largest winning run chase in T20 cricket. Yorkshire had made 223-5, a formidable score, and one that again showed that how strong the Vikings are in this format. At the midway-point of the game few would have given Notts more than a one in 20 chance of getting close.
That the win was achieved with five balls to spare is largely down to Hales, bludgeoning a brilliant 101 from only 47 balls, a knock that was backed up by handy contributions from Wessels, Christian and Taylor. Tom Moores’ promotion to number three in the order was cruelly cut short by a freak 70-yard direct hit from David Willey.
Leicestershire Foxes (Grace Road – Abandoned)
I’ll take the night off for this fixture next year. That’s three years running we’ve sat there watching it rain all night and then gone home. A total of 18 hours of my life wasted?
Derbyshire Falcons (Derby – Won by 8 runs)
Andy Pick’s famed bowling ‘cartel’ had, unbelievably, come in for a bit of stick in this campaign for the number of times that sides have rattled up 200 against them. Not any more, I hope.
Derbyshire didn’t need 200, after restricting Notts to 189-4. Tom Moores’ 57 took the man of the match award, but Harry Gurney’s final ‘yorker-filled’ over was a masterclass in death bowling – ask Matt Henry, who had his feet whipped from underneath him.
Durham Jets (Trent Bridge – won by 5 wickets)
“I was aware of Chris Gayle’s world record and went for it,” declared Alex Hales, when interviewed on the pitch afterwards, by Colin Hazelden, for the big screen.
Hales made a stupendously-good 95 from only 30 balls, to send Notts to a turbo-charged victory over a Jets side that have been punched in the stomach too many times this season.
Chasing 183-7, Hales hit nine fours and nine sixes in just 33 minutes at the crease – one of the most destructive innings you could ever wish to see.
He was eventually dismissed, heaving his 30th delivery a mile up into the sky, looking for another maximum to match the Jamaican’s achievement.
“Did you really know that Gayle’s world record for the fastest hundred was 30 balls?”, I asked him.
“No,” he laughed. “Their ’keeper told me!”
Birmingham (Trent Bridge – won by 5 wickets)
Having plummeted to the foot of the table, after losing at Edgbaston in early July, Notts completed their charge up the table and hit the top of the North Group after defeating the Bears in the re-match.
Samit Patel, after a series of promising performances with bat and ball, finally hit the headlines with a match-deciding innings of 77 not out as the Outlaws made short shrift of chasing 181.
Worcestershire (New Road – won by 11 runs)
I pride myself on keeping up to speed with the assorted county squads and their various comings and goings, yet I had to re-check a few facts when the Worcestershire side showed three young seamers with a total of five appearances between them.
One of them, Alex Hepburn, may never have such a successful day again, taking 5-24 as Notts were bowled out for just 145. It would have been much worse but for Billy Root’s 37, made towards the back end of the innings.
Step forward the bowlers. A terrific showing from Dan Christian, who took 3-18 - and pulled off a catch that Superman would have been proud of – plus some stunning death bowling from Jake and Harry, showed how much inner belief has been instilled in the squad.
A top four spot already guaranteed, this win meant that the home quarter-final tickets could be printed.
Leicestershire Foxes (Trent Bridge – lost by 2 runs)
Sometimes a defeat can feel like a win…
Notts gave their all in a thrilling match which saw Cameron Delport become the fourth Fox to score a T20 century against the Outlaws. The visitors scored 203-5 in another high-scoring contest.
Captain Christian got his side close – very close – hitting five sixes and five fours in his quickfire 73, but the Foxes edged it by just 2 runs.
They celebrated – quite rightly – as the success ensured their place in the knock-out stages, at the expense of our northern neighbours. Like I said, sometimes a defeat can feel like a win.
Somerset (Trent Bridge – won by 5 wickets)
I wasn’t being cocky for this quarter-final, just confident – and was happy to tell everyone that Notts would win. Our supposed quarter-final jinx is a thing of the past and the best team in the North Group are simply much better than the fourth-placed team in the South Group.
It helps to win the toss – which Dan did – and Somerset played well to get to 151, but it was never going to be enough.
There was a bit of an edge to proceedings after a controversial catch went against the Outlaws, but that only stiffened the resolve and it was nice to see Steven Mullaney step up from his ‘safety-valve’ position of number seven to hit the winning runs.
And, so to another Finals Day. Will this be the year? Who knows. Notts have as good a chance of doing it as any of the other three teams, and we all know that one sensational innings – which could be made from any of the top four batsmen on any side – could swing a contest.
I hope the Outlaws break their duck, I really do – especially for all the supporters, who have stuck with them over the years.
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Dave Bracegirdle will be part of the BBC Radio Nottingham commentary team, providing full coverage from Edgbaston on Saturday.