OUTLAWS UNDONE BY DRAGONS AND DUCKWORTH-LEWIS

Notts Outlaws fell victim to Duckworth Lewis calculations as they went down to a 2-run defeat by the Welsh Dragons at Swansea.

The loss, the Outlaws second of the week, leaves them in third place in Group B of the CB40 competition and facing the possibility of not reaching this season’s knockout stage.

In a day of sharply contrasting overhead conditions, the home side made 181-8 in warm sunshine, with spinners Graeme White and Samit Patel taking three wickets apiece.

In a rain-interrupted response, Notts were on 77-4 after 18 overs when play was halted and then after a lengthy stoppage fell 3 runs short of the revised target.

A philosophical Mick Newell reflected on another D/L affected tie that went against his side.

"By the time we play again next Sunday both will have played another game and if they were to lose then we’ll be back in it.” Mick Newell

“Perhaps we were a little bit ill-feted but we weren’t in a great position at 77-4,” he said.

“We certainly let Glamorgan get far too many runs on that wicket and that’s cost us.”

For the second time in a few days Notts played in a match that was dominated by the spin bowlers but Newell said his side were prepared for that challenge.

“We knew it was going to be a used wicket because with all the bad weather around, they’ve had problems in preparing a fresh wicket but we knew what the scenario was and picked the team accordingly but we weren’t able to perform well on it.”

The director of cricket admits prospects of qualification have now slipped out of Notts hands.

“The most we can get now is 16 points and Hampshire and Surrey can get more than that so we’ll keep going until we can’t qualify. By the time we play again next Sunday both will have played another game and if they were to lose then we’ll be back in it.”

Samit Patel opened the bowling for the Outlaws in bright sunshine, with a backdrop of trawlers and small fishing boats bobbing up and down in Swansea Bay.

Mark Wallace clubbed a straight six off Patel and his partner, Gareth Rees, then played a reverse slog-sweep off the spinner for another maximum.

Andy Carter took the first wicket of the day, in his first over, as Rees (18) tried an ambitious drive but only succeeded in picking out Steven Mullaney at mid off.

A decent-sized crowd continued to pack into the multi-purpose sports ground, many of them occupying the deckchairs scattered around the boundary edge.

White’s introduction pegged back the home side, with the left-armer claiming wickets in three consecutive overs.

Chris Cooke (2) was dismissed lbw by umpire Tim Robinson, trying a reverse sweep. Jim Allenby (11) lofted to Michael Lumb in the deep and then Wallace (21) picked out Riki Wessels on the legside rope.

With seagulls skirting over the ground, the Dragons couldn’t afford to lose any more wickets before the halfway stage, which was reached with the score on 79-4.

Stewart Walters appeared to survive a couple of close shaves. On 2 he looked to have nicked Mullaney through to Read but the decision didn’t go in Notts favour.

On 11, he did glance White to slip, but Voges put down the chance, only to make amends soon afterwards.

With open-topped buses passing by at one end and multi-coloured terraced housing at the other, the ground made for a picturesque scene.

Patel, replacing White at the Mumbles Road End, found the edge of Walters’ bat (13) and Voges made no mistake this time.

Marcus North, who plays alongside Voges for Western Australia, added 61 with Ben Wright, with the pair bringing the 100 up in the 27^th over.

Scott Elstone became the 7^th Outlaws bowler to be used but he was heaved over deep midwicket for six, with a spectator leaping from his seat to take an outstanding catch.

The stand was broken in the batting power-play as North (35) lofted Carter to Esltone. Graham Wagg (5) quickly followed, with Lumb hanging on to his second catch of the day off Patel, who claimed a third wicket in the final over, although not before Wright had completed his fifty.

He advanced to the landmark from the first ball of the final over, before sending a towering shot high out of the ground in the direction of the beach.

Intending a repeat he fell for 62 as Voges took a well-judged catch to end the innings on 181-8.

Steady rain delayed the resumption by several minutes but when play recommenced Dean Cosker struck early to dismiss both Notts openers.

Michael Lumb (3) chipped to Rees at short midwicket and Alex Hales (10) was stumped lunging forward.

A stand of 50 between Riki Wessels (38) and Samit Patel turned the contest in the favour of the visitors and they were comfortably ahead of the asking rate with steady drizzle falling.

Wessels had bludgeoned Cosker into the seats in front of the pavilion and then launched Wagg into a refreshment kiosk, scattering the patrons.

Timing the ball sweetly, Wessels looked in sublime form until falling to an astonishing catch by North at short leg as he clipped Robert Croft away off his legs.

With the drizzle getting heavier, anxious looks at the Duckworth Lewis calculations revealed that Notts were one run ahead but that changed dramatically with the fall of another wicket.

New man Adam Voges (1) was given out lbw to the returning Cosker and the umpires decided that the conditions had deteriorated sufficiently and ushered the remaining players back to the pavilion.

After a delay of more than an hour the players returned to the middle with Notts needing 33 more from a further eighteen deliveries.

Patel and Read scored thirteen off Allenby’s restart over and a tidy over from Wagg swung the contest back towards the Dragons.

Read was dropped in the deep by sub Nick James but later in the over Walters made no mistake at long on to catch Patel (35).

Fourteen were needed from the final six balls, again delivered by Allenby but the skipper and Scott Elstone could only take singles from the first five balls and although Read smashed a six off the final ball it wasn’t enough.