SECOND XI MATCH REPORTS: T20 V ENGLAND U19

The Nottinghamshire Second XI returned to t20 action today with two matches against England U19s. The first ended in victory for Notts, while a rain-affected second clash saw the England youngsters triumph.

Match 1. 

After winning the toss, England U19s elected to field, allowing opening batsmen Sam Kelsall and Riki Wessels to start brightly. Wessels made 29 before falling in the 4^th over, the first of four quick wickets. Rowe was run out for 3, Langford caught behind and Dal trapped for 1, leaving the score at 62-4 in the seventh over.

At this stage, Adam Tillcock joined Kelsall and the pair progressed to a fifth wicket stand of 55, Tillcock adding a rapid 31 before being caught, leaving the score 117-5.  Kelsall (46) continued into the penultimate over alongside captain Brett Hutton (29) before both were caught, leaving Mellor and Bacon to negotiate the final balls and leave Notts with a score of 172-7.

The England U-19 reply started steadily, before Luke Wood had Sibley (19) caught by Langford in the fourth over. Tattersall followed next, bowled by Hutton for 7 in the eighth over, the score at 46-2. A steady period by the Notts bowlers followed, restricting the England youngsters, before Hussain (8) departed in the 13^th over.

The U-19s threatened through Higgins, who made an excellent sixty before being caught by Bacon off Wood, the score 113-4. The next three wickets followed for only 17 runs by the 18^th over, before remaining batsmen Sayer and Davis entering the final over looking to add to the 155 they had. Despite starting well, Wood claimed Sayer, his fourth (4-31), before the innings closed on 165-8, a Notts win by seven runs.

Match 2.

Notts won the toss and elected to field, the opening batsmen reaching 50 for no loss before losing Jackson (23) in the tenth. He was run out while backing up to the non-striker’s end, after bowler O’Dowd touched a straight drive onto the stumps with Jackson stranded. Higgins reached his 50 in the next over but was out shortly after, stumped by Mellor with the score at 80-2.

O’Dowd struck again in the 14^th, removing Sayer thanks to a catch from Brett Hutton before a flurry of wickets in the last three overs followed. Hussain (26) was bowled by Tillcock, (116-4), Tattersall was bowled by Wood for a duck, before Tillcock claimed Sohal (7) and Hudson-Prentice (0) thanks to excellent stumping from Mellor. The final innings score finished at 129-7, Tillcock with 3-21 and trialist O’Dowd with 2-14 plus the run out from his four overs.

The Notts reply started slowly, losing Wessels for naught before rain delayed play. Always keeping one eye on the D/L score, Rowe looked to score quickly before being run out with the score 11-2, before Langford (26) was stumped in the 9^th with the score at 48-3, still slightly behind the rate. 

At this stage, Sam Kelsall joined Anuj Dal and the pair added 29 before Kelsall (14) was bowled by Sayer in the 14^th over.  Adam Tillcock followed next ball, caught at midwicket, which brought Hutton into the contest. Alongside Dal, the pair progressed to 92-5 by the 17^th over, shortly before Jackson ran out Dal for 33. Shortly afterward, heavy rain arrived, granting England U-19s a victory by 3 runs thanks to the Duckworth Lewis Method.