Tom Moores took great heart from the way Notts Outlaws adapted to difficult conditions as they overcame Durham in a rain-affected affair at the Seat Unique Riverside.

After persistent heavy rainfall pushed the start time in Chester-le-Street back, the Outlaws were finally able to triumph in an 11-over contest as they set 98/9 before restricting the hosts to 96/5 for a narrow triumph.

“It’s nice to get back-to-back wins,” began Moores. “With the game being shortened, it was absolute carnage! So with that in mind, the way the bowlers stuck to their skills, especially in what turned out to be such a tight game at the end there, was excellent.

“The ball too was like soap considering the conditions, so for the bowlers to be able to do what they did, they deserve a lot of credit.”

The reduced nature of the game meant a change in playing conditions, with a shortened powerplay, bowlers limited to fewer overs, and a necessity for tactical tweaks.

However, Moores believes that although each innings was only slightly over half as long as would be expected in a regular Twenty20 fixture, he and several of his teammates were able to draw on some handy experience.

“We treated it very much like a ten-over game,” he explained, “and we have guys in our squad who have played T10 cricket.

“The way we looked at it is that we always wanted to take wickets, because that slows them down, but ultimately you’ll do well to bowl a side out in ten overs.

“It was also about getting through our overs and going for as little as possible. I thought Samit did a great job of that, and we saw [Luke Fletcher] at the end nail his yorkers too, which are so hard to hit.

“It was a great performance all-round.”

Having struck an 11-ball 25 to kick-start the Outlaws’ innings, Moores led the recovery effort after the Outlaws found themselves 16/3, and the left-hander also spoke of his pride in his own personal performance.

He praised the Chester-le-Street surface in offering something for both bat and ball, while underlining his happiness with how quickly he adapted to the game situation.

“I thought it was actually a really nice wicket. It had good pace in it, and there was value for good shots,” he said.

“You’re always hoping you’ll find the middle pretty quickly. You want to cleanly strike the ball and pick the gaps in the field, while just hoping that a few come out of the middle as well. I felt nice throughout it all.”

Having helped the Outlaws to a competitive total, Moores then played his part with a catch off the bowling of Matt Carter to see his side narrowly home for their second consecutive victory.

After a break for another round of red-ball action, the Outlaws conclude the Vitality Blast group stage with a pair of fixtures next weekend, the first of which sees them meet Durham again, this time at Trent Bridge.

Moores expressed his desire to see the side end the Blast on a high, noting that Notts can still give their faithful supporters plenty to cheer for in their final shortest-format home clash this season next week.

“It’s always nice to beat a side away from home, and then we always back ourselves at Trent Bridge,” Moores said. “Obviously, it’s not quite happened for us all the time this year, but we stay confident at Trent Bridge.

“It’s nice to put a little mark on them now ahead of them coming to us next week. Of course, they’ll be up for it and will try to win at our place, but they know that they’ll have a really good game on their hands.”

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Be More Outlaw: The 2022 Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge

Pin your green and gold colours to the mast by securing your seats for Notts Outlaws' final home game in the Vitality Blast group stage.

Friday 1 July, Notts Outlaws vs Durham: Secure your seats…