NCL: Outlaws vs Hawks

Nottinghamshire Outlaws vs Hampshire Hawks: Trent Bridge (Day/Night)


Nottinghamshire won the toss and decided to bat first in the Day/Night encounter at Trent Bridge.

Nottinghamshire started their innings steadily as both Jason Gallian and Paul Franks got into their stride before the promising youngster Chris Tremlett cleaned up Paul Franks with a fine delivery. Russell Warren came to the middle and again just a partnership formed another wicket fell, Jason Gallian was the well caught of the bowling of Dimitri Mascarenhas for a well worked 29.

Dimitri Mascarenhas struck in his next over as he dismissed the former England International Usman Afzaal for a six ball duck.

Russell Warren and Kevin Pietersen then lead a Nottinghamshire fight back as the pair dominated the Hampshire bowling to add 122 to turn the game right back into the Outlaws favour. However Hampshire never gave up and bounced back with two quick wickets by the part time spin of Simon Katich to dismiss Kevin Pietersen and Chris Cairns saw Nottinghamshire starting to reel somewhat and the threat of all their hard work being undone, however enter the new England One Day keeper Chris Read who rapidly smashed 38 runs from just 20 balls in a cameo consisting of 3 x 4's and 2 x 6's. Mean while at the other end unfortunately for Russell Warren his valiant fight ended in the pursuit of quick runs for a fantastic 91 (112).


In reply Hampshire Hawks required 250 runs to win

Hampshire's innings started in fine fashion with Simon Katich inparticular very impressive, while the normally explosive James Hamblin struggled to get into his normal flow and eventually the pressure built up enough and he flashed at a wide ball from Richard Logan for Chris Read to take a regulation catch behind the stumps.

Simon Katich and Derek Kenway then went about knocking the remaining 200 runs require to win at a fine rate. Simon Katich bought up a fantastic half century and was looking in fine form until he was run out by the width of the line, after Chris Read's quick work.

Derek Kenway and the Hawks captain John Crawley then proceeded to add a further 69 runs in which Derek Kenway just managed to bring up the 2nd 50 of the Hawks innings before he was dismissed just a short time later when he chipped a simple catch to mid on where the reliable Kevin Pietersen was waiting.

John Francis was next man in and found the going tough as he took just 3 runs from the first 9 balls faced, with the run rate rapidly climbing to nearly eight an over the need was just for John Francis to rotate the strike to the settled batsman John Crawley however he struggled to do so and at one stage, John Crawley was kept from facing for two overs. However John Francis soon found some form with a towering six.

John Crawley was the 3rd Hampshire batsman to past 50, however with the score on 234 and victory in sight John Crawley allowed Chris Cairns to pick his first NCL wicket up in this his sixth game, Jason Gallian taking a sharp catch.

With the scoring rate getting to precarious situation Dimitri Mascarenhas entered the match and took a couple of his first ball, before launching Chris Cairns about 30 metres over the mid wicket boundary for a massive six that transformed the game from needing 14 from 9, to 8 from 8.

Hampshire needed just 7 from the final over and somehow managed to end up needing 2 from the final ball of the match. After an aborted first attempt Greg Smith got it right second time with a full-length ball that John Francis hit straight towards a fielder for an easy single, however the fielder somehow managed to let the ball slip under him for a untimely miss field to allow the Hampshire batsman to run the second run required to win.


Nottinghamshire Outlaws (45 overs): 249/6 - R Warren 91, K Pietersen 58, C Read 38*; D Mascarenhas 3/46, S Katich 2/47


Hampshire Hawks (45 overs): 250/4 - S Katich 67, J Crawley 58, D Kenway 50; C Cairns 1/38, S Randall 1/42,

Result: Hampshire won by 6 wickets

Man of The Match: John Crawley

Posted by Richard