Mighty Notts thrash feeble Warwickshire

Mighty Notts thrash feeble Warwickshire

In beating Warwickshire bythe wide margin of 118 runs, Nottinghamshire completed a trio of Royal London wins, consigning the Bears to their second heavy defeat in three days.

Ben Slater led the way for Notts with an excellent hundred. Only Jeetan Patel’s five wicket haul prevented the Outlaws from an even bigger total than their 301-9.  

On a slighly two-paced pitch, this proved to be more than enough to give the visitors an easy win. After reducing Warwickshire to 22-4, the Notts bowlers never loosened their grip despite maiden List A half centuries for Liam Banks and Alex Thomson.  

At the start of the day, Nottinghamshire won the toss and chose to bat.

Chris Woakes, limited by his dodgy knee and ECB instructions to playing only every other game, hit Ben Slater on the helmet and then found his outside edge, only for Dom Sibley at second slip to put down an easy chance.

Joe Clarke played some handsome shots but, like Slater, had his share of luck, edging a good length ball from Woakes just past the hapless Sibley. He took four boundaries off a Henry Brookes over, though two of them were mis-hits to the short boundary in front of the Hollies Stand. 

It was young seamer George Panayi who got the breakthrough, Clarke hitting him straight to Thomson on the square leg boundary. His 39 came off 34 balls. Then Ben Duckett miscued the same bowler to mid-on.

Jeetan Patel was able to extract just a small amount of turn from the pitch; but it was enough to enable him to weave his special brand of off-spinning magic.  

Jake Libby stepped back to force Jeetan Patel through the off-side, missed and was bowled for 10. Then Jeetan won the battle of the Patels, trapping Samit half forward and gaining an lbw decision. At 98-4, Notts were in danger of squandering a good start.

When Thomson came on with his off-spin, he was unlucky to see Slater edge him twice for boundaries.

Panayi, having received some rough treatment in earlier games, bowled with admirable control, his ten overs bringing him 2-44. 

Slater and captain Steven Mullaney managed a highly effective repair job, though Mullaney twice edged Will Rhodes through the vacant slip area for four and also played and missed to the same bowler. But Rhodes eventually got his reward, Mullaney edging a lifting ball to be caught by Tim Ambrose for 40. The fifth wicket pair had put on 95 in 16.2 overs.

Slater went to his fifth list A 100 off 111 balls, with 15 fours but then fell to a good length ball from Jeetan Patel which got through his defence to bowl him. An under-rated player, Slater has a list A average well north of 50.

No sooner had Slater gone than Moores, too, missed a straight ball from Jeetan Patel. Notts were now 207-7 in the 39thover and the match was still nicely poised.

Luke Fletcher enjoyed a double dose of good fortune when first Sam Hain at mid-on and then, next ball, Panayi at long off dropped catches off Thomson. His brand of swish and hope paid off again when he edged Woakes for four.

Jeetan Patel was struck by both James Pattinson and Fletcher for six but, off the final delivery of his spell, he completed a five wicket haul by having Fletcher securely held on the boundary for 32 off just 22 balls. His ten overs produced 5-45, a master class in subtle, controlled off-spin with only limited help from the pitch.

Young Brookes eventually got some reward for his efforts when Pattinson holed out on the cover boundary for 33 off just 25 balls. Overall, though, it was what might most kindly be described as a learning experience for the young man, his nine overs costing 78 runs.  

A lively unbeaten last wicket stand of 26 between Zak Chappell and Matt Carter took the Outlaws over the 300 mark..

Warwickshire got off to a disastrous start when Ed Pollock groped at a good length ball from Carter and edged to slip. When Sibley was bowled through the gate by Fletcher, and Hain edged Pattinson’s first ball to be caught behind, the Bears were in disarray at 20-3. This became 22-4 when Ambrose departed for 0, bowled by a good length ball from Fletcher.

Hard though the later batsmen tried, there was really no way back for the Bears from that point. Rhodes and Woakes fell cheaply so it was left to the inexperienced trio of Liam Banks, Thomson and Panayi to restore some semblance of respectability to the score line and give home supporters a little hope for the future.

Banks reached a maiden list A 50 including two sixes off Samit Patel before he lofted the same bowler to deep mid-on to fall for 57 off 60 balls.

Brookes continued his nightmare day with a duck. But from 116-8, Thomson and Panayi added 61 runs, Thomson also making his maiden list A half-century. 

Despite this late order defiance, the result was never in doubt with the end coming after just 37.5 overs.

Nottinghamshire now look well placed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Royal London, whereas the Bears may well feel that their best approach is to accept non-qualification and give their young players some experience from which they may benefit in other competitions later in the season.

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