Notts Outlaws and Leicestershire Foxes were unable to complete their Friends Life t20 match at Trent Bridge when heavy rain prevented the visitors from starting their innings.
Earlier a whirlwind 73 from David Hussey, his fourth half century of this season’s competition, had lifted the home side to an imposing 188-6.
With Andy Carter out injured, and Samit Patel away with the England squad, the Outlaws were forced to make their first team changes for seven matches and drafted both Graeme White and Ben Phillips into the starting line-up.
Defending a perfect home record of five wins out of five the Outlaws were again afforded the opportunity of batting first after Hussey had won the toss.
Alex Hales and Riki Wessels combined to get the innings off to an explosive start, picking up 35 inside the first four and a half overs before Harry Gurney made the initial breakthrough getting Wessels (12) out, courtesy of an excellent catch by Wayne White, running back in the direction of County Hall.
The power-play overs ended with the Outlaws on 47-1 but the eighth over began with the home side losing their second wicket. Prodigious turn from Claude Henderson deceived the advancing Hales (28) and Paul Nixon completed a routine stumping.
Adam Voges, the leading t20 scorer in this season’s competition, again looked in good touch as he and Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking over through the middle phase of the innings.
With the skies darkening, and the threat of rain intensifying, Hussey hit the first maximum of the contest, hoisting Josh Cobb to the back row of the Larwood and Voce Stand. The shot also brought the 100 up and also the start of fairly steady drizzle.
A second Hussey six flew into the William Clarke Stand off Matthew Hoggard to complete a fifty stand between the two Australians from just 40 deliveries. The fifteenth over was bowled by Wayne White – Hussey hit the first two balls for four, then smashed one high up to the Executive Suite above the pavilion to record his fifty (29 balls 4 x 4 3 x 6). He celebrated by hoisting another one into the midwicket crowd as the over went for 22 runs.
Another six off Henderson took the home captain to 73 out of a stand of 94 (37 balls 5 x 4 5 x 6) but he then fell , missing a slowing ball from Abdul Razzaq and left the field to a standing ovation.
The experienced Pakistan international did the same to Scott Elstone (4) before Voges (31) became the third wicket to fall in quick succession as he dragged on from Hoggard.
Chris Read had an early life as Jacques Du Toit juggled - then dropped – an opportunity at deep square. Steven Mullaney made a rapid 19 but was bowled by Gurney in the final over as he moved across his stumps trying to pull to fine leg.
Read (11 not out) and Ben Phillips (2 not out) advanced the total on to 188-6 at the end of the 20th over.
Despite persistent rain falling throughout the interval the umpires led the players back out into the middle but before play could start they aborted the idea of a re-start and returned to the dug-outs.
As at Grace Road, a fortnight earlier, each side takes one point from the contest, leaving the Outlaws still four points clear at the top of the North Group ahead of their next fixture, at home to Lancashire Lightning on Sunday 26th June (2.30pm start).
- Supporters who attended this fixture will be able to re-use their ticket to gain free entry to a Friends Life t20 group match, CB40 group match or a day of LV= County Championship cricket at Trent Bridge this season.