Matt Milnes’ all-rounder excellence helped Nottinghamshire win a low-scoring second XI Trophy match against Durham at Grantham CC.
The 23-year-old first took 3-21 in tandem with Jack Blatherwick, who claimed 4-27, to help bowl out the visitors for just 115.
He then followed that up by partnering Kamau Leverock (23) to score a vital 32 and rescue Notts from the perilous position of 45-5 to get home in their run chase.
With the start of the match delayed due to misty and damp conditions, the game was reduced to 48 overs per side, before Notts won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Durham were immediately on the back foot and quickly reduced to 2-2 as Michael Jones was dismissed for a duck in Blatherwick’s first over, edging a catch to keeper Solomon Budinger, before Liam Trevaskis also went without scoring, bowled by Milnes.
It was soon 9-3 as Ryan Davies (6) nicked Blatherwick to Lyndon James at second slip and then 25-4 when Milnes got Ross Greenwell (10) to edge to Budinger.
The wickets continued to fall apace as Harry Adair (14) was another slip victim for Blatherwick, who then trapped Chris McBride lbw from his next ball, making it 42-6.
Josh Coughlin (10) was seventh out, caught at square leg by Liam Patterson-White off Billy Root’s bowling, before Scott Steel and Barry McCarthy posted the 100.
However, McCarthy (14) was run out from backward point by Patterson-White (113-8), who then trapped Whitehead (0) lbw, while last man Gavin Main joined Steel (40) who was the final wicket to fall, caught behind by Budinger off Milnes.
Notts' batsmen also did not find conditions easy as James (3) was caught by Ross Greenwell at backward point from McCarthy’s bowling.
The score advanced to 32 before Budinger (22) was second out, bowled around his legs by McCarthy and Jake Libby (3) followed quickly, caught by keeper Davies from a Main delivery.
Chris Gibson (8) went next, edging Main to Trevaskis, while Root was caught by Greenwell at second slip, giving McCarthy a third wicket.
Milnes and Leverock then posted a key stand in the context of the match of 33 before the latter was caught by Steel off Josh Coughlin’s bowling, making it 78-6.
By the time Milnes was ousted, caught at mid-on by Ben Whitehead off Steel, Notts were almost home at 111-7, allowing Patterson-White (12 not out) and Blatherwick (1 not out) to complete a three-wicket win in the 29th over.
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