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Notts Outlaws exacted quick revenge upon the Durham Dynamos for their defeat at Emirates Durham ICG on Tuesday evening. Half centuries from Alex Hales and David Hussey lifted the home side to 213-4 from their 20 overs and a victory by 54 runs.
In front of a crowd of 6652, the Dynamos made only 159 before being bowled out in the final over with Steven Mullaney and Darren Pattinson each picking up three wickets.
Mullaney admitted that his task with the ball had been made much easier by the Notts batsmen.
“It’s always easier to come on when you’ve more than 200 runs to defend,” he said.
“The top order has been batting beautifully and did it again this evening.”
The all-rounder claimed wickets in each of his first three overs and enjoyed the reception he was given by the crowd.
“They’re enjoying it at the moment and so are we,” he said.
“We wanted to make amends for losing on Tuesday and now just want to make sure we keep winning and qualify for the quarter finals as soon as we can.”
Alex Hales confirmed that he was troubled by a hamstring injury during his innings.
“It came on when I’d scored about forty runs but the physio has had a look and he doesn’t think it’s too serious.
“Hopefully I will be OK to play on Saturday.”
Batting first after skipper Hussey won the toss, the Outlaws got off to a decent start with 14 coming from the first over courtesy of three Hales boundaries from the bowling of Chris Rushworth.
In the fifth over, Riki Wessels hit the evening’s first maximum, pulling Mich Claydon over the midwicket rope in front of the Fox Road Stand. Two balls later a repeat went straight to Liam Plunkett who had been sent out there to patrol the boundary. Looking straight into the sun the fielder spilt the chance, enabling the fifty to be brought up.
Wessels went in the next over though, lbw to Rushworth for 31 but the openers had again laid a solid platform.
The start of the ninth over produced an enormous six by Hales, who launched Gareth Breese into the Hound Road Stand – the ball hitting the boards in front of the top deck.
Adam Voges began as if he had a train to catch – reverse sweeping Ian Blackwell for consecutive boundaries to propel the side to 103-1 at the halfway point. The next over took Hales to his fifty (29 balls, 7 x 4, 1 x 6) although he looked in some discomfort with his hamstring strain.
Playing through the injury, he launched Gareth Breese into the Radcliffe Road Stand for six but then asked Dale Benkenstein if he could use a runner, initiating a return to the middle for Wessels.
Umpire Trevor Jesty then stunned the home fans by raising his finger to send Voges back to the dug out. Plunkett had bowled a leg-side delivery which looked to have gone cleanly through to Phil Mustard. A gentle enquiry from the bowler brought an end to a stand of 72, with the Australian given out for 39.
Hussey cut Breese for four to get off the mark and celebrated by clubbing the next delivery way over the ropes at long off. The 150 came up in the 15th over and another Hussey six arrived in the next.
Hales’ heroic innings came to an end with the score on 171 when Claydon fired one through the defences of the hobbling batsman. In scoring 67 (39 balls, 8 x 4, 2 x 6) the right hander had matched exactly the score he had posted in the previous home game against the Warwickshire Bears.
The strength of the brickwork just above the media centre was then tested by a lofted drive from Hussey – who had taken shine to a delivery from Rushworth.
Samit Patel scored 10 from 9 balls before also falling to Claydon. The final over began with the 200 being brought up – and ended with him launching Plunkett for another big six to take him to 54 not out (24 balls, 2 x 4, 4 x 6).
Notts total of 213-4 was their joint second-highest ever in the competition, just 2 behind the score recorded against Yorkshire Carnegie earlier in the month.
Hussey then sprang a surprise by opening the bowling but it was Darren Pattinson who made the breakthrough in the second over as Muchall drove into the grateful hands of Elstone at cover.
Ian Blackwell made 9 before losing his off stump to Luke Fletcher but aggressive hitting from Mustard took his side to 54-2 at the end of the power-play overs.
Pace was then taken off the ball as Steven Mullaney and Samit Patel bowled eight miserly overs to take the match away from the Dynamos.
Mustard had made 75 against the Outlaws on Tuesday but fell for 29 at Trent Bridge, thanks to a Fletcher catch at short fine leg, as the batsman tried to sweep in Mullaney’s first over.
Patel joined the list of wicket-takers, inducing Collingwood to sky one on the leg-side into the waiting hands of Graeme White, on as a substitute fielder for Hales.
David Miller hit the first six of the innings in the ninth over – helping Mullaney out towards the New Stand but the following delivery brought immediate revenge as the bowler held a sharp return catch.
At the halfway point the visitors were on 78-5, still requiring a further 138 runs. Benkenstein provided Mullaney with his third wicket as a leading edge flew out to Hussey on the edge of the circle.
A Breese maximum spoilt Mullaney’s final over but his four overs had brought him a return of 3-26, whilst Patel ended with 1-22.
Breese top-scored with 34 but then fell to Carter, switch-hitting straight to the waiting Voges. Some late blows from Plunkett and Claydon lifted their side beyond 150 but the lower order defiance ended with Fletcher getting his second wicket in the 19th over and then Pattinson, helped by fine catches from Wessels and White, blew away the tail to finish with 3-33.
The Outlaws have now won 5 out of their opening seven matches and top the North Group by four points. They are next in action on Saturday when they face Northants Steelbacks at Trent Bridge (play starts 6pm).