STOKES SHINES AS OUTLAWS HOPES END

Notts Outlaws missed out on a return visit to the end of season Lord’s showpiece when they fell to a 83-run defeat by Durham Jets in their Royal London One Day Cup semi final at the Emirates ICG.

The Outlaws, defending one-day cup holders, were restricted to a score of 270 all out , with James Taylor making 114 but they rarely looked likely to threaten after Durham had posted a mammoth 353-8.

Put in, the home side had Ben Stokes to thank for their huge contribution. He scored 164 from 113 deliveries (18x4 6x6) and Phil Mustard made 89.Ajmal Shahzad (3-73) and Luke Fletcher (3-82) were the most successful bowlers on what turned out to be a difficult session for the Notts bowlers.

Notts lost a couple of early wickets in their chased and eventually were dismissed with 3.5 overs unused. Gareth Breese (3-53) and Chris Rushworth (3-60) did the most damage as the visitors slipped to defeat.

"In the first 10 overs, we were terrible.” Mick Newell

Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's Director of Cricket, was honest about his side’s performance.

“We were very poor with the ball,” he said. “I thought we did as well as we possibly could with the bat but we gave ourselves far too many to chase.”

He felt it was the right decision to invite Durham to bat first. “It’s a no-brainer when you win the toss at 10.30 in September but if you serve up sa pile of fruit you’ll end up chasing the ball around. In the first 10 overs, we were terrible.”

On his captain’s performance, Newell said, “He’s a mentally strong young man and it was a terrific effort to go on and make a hundred in a run chase like that. To clear his mind and bat as positively and as calculated as that, I’m very impressed.”

Naming an unchanged side from the team that beat Derbyshire Falcons in the quarters, had no hesitation in asking Durham Jets to bat first after winning the toss.

The home side were able to welcome Stokes back from England duty and also could include Mustard, who missed the Championship match in midweek with a knee injury.

Mustard opened the batting, alongside Jets’ skipper Mark Stoneman. After 6 overs the Durham openers had 37-0 on the board. Shahzad replaced Fletcher and immediately slipped over badly in his delivery slide.

The 50 came up after 7.3 overs as Stoneman moved to 34 not out by easing Jake Ball through the covers. In the tenth over Notts struck for the first time, Fletcher bowling Stoneman (36), to break the stand at 61.

Despite the Powerplay overs being completed Taylor elected to keep a slip in place for the new batsman and the decision as fully justified as Riki Wessels took a stunning, diving catch to remove Calum MacLeod (6), from the bowling of Shahzad.

Keaton Jennings (8) also didn’t delay Notts for too long, pulling James Franklin high to Steven Mullaney in the deep.

Stokes, who scored a century when Notts were defeated by Durham in the group stages, cracked Franklin to the backward point fence to bring up the 100 in the 18^th over.

Mullaney and Samit Patel entered the attack and only went for one run apiece from their first overs and then, on 12, Stokes appeared to nick Mullaney but Chris Read couldn’t hang on.

The unlucky reprieve was to prove costly as the two left-handers hurt Notts in a damaging stand of 135 in 24 overs.

Mustard reached his 50 (73 balls 4x4) and was quickly followed to the milestone by his partner (47 balls 7x4 1x6), with Stokes levering Patel high over long on for the first maximum of the afternoon.

The batting Powerplay became difficult to watch for the Outlaws fans that had made the journey north as runs flowed from the bat with ease. Mustard took 14 from three deliveries from Jake Ball, blasting his first 6 either side of two powerful fours.

In all, Durham scored 57 from the 5 overs but they did lose a wicket in the fourth of them. Shahzad bowled a delivery of Yorker length to Stokes, who just about kept it out. Mustard ran but his partner hadn’t moved, enabling the bowler to field, turn and register a direct hit from 10 yards at the non-strikers end. It brought an ugly end to a terrific innings from Mustard (89).

Stokes moved to his 100 (84 balls 14x4 1x6) in the next over and celebrated by lifting Patel away for his second 6 in the 42^nd over and Mullaney then went for half a dozen more.

With wickets in hand and a licence to press on, runs came at an alarming rate with Paul Collingwood then clearing the ropes as Ball returned to the attack.

It became 4 sixes in as many overs as Fletcher was then put over the top by Stokes. The same bowler claimed his second wicket as Collingwood (24) lifted straight to Taylor at point.

The 300 came up in the 46^th over as Stokes went past Wayne Larkins’ 128 in 1993, the previous highest score by a Durham batsman against Notts.

Stokes 150 arrived (105 balls 15x4 6x6) but Notts had a fairly respectable final couple of overs as they grabbed 3 late wickets.

John Hastings (13) slammed Shahzad hard to Franklin at long on then Stokes’ brilliant innings ended with a catch by Michael Lumb in the same over.

Fletcher got his third by yorking Gareth Breese (0) first ball as the innings closed to tumultuous applause from the home supporters.

Notts’ response got off to a dreadful start as both openers were dismissed in the first 25 deliveries. Lumb (5) was caught behind, off Hastings and Mullaney (8) was bowled by a nip-backer from Chris Rushworth.

Perhaps surprisingly, Sam Wood (22) was sent in at number 3 in the order. The 21-year old helped add 51 in 10.3 overs with his captain but was then given out lbw, sweeping in the first over of spin from Breese.

Patel replaced Wood at the crease and had a huge let off on 15 when he was bowled by Collingwood but the bowler had accidentally clipped off a bail as he released the ball.

Taylor’s 50 came from 59 balls (6x4) as Notts made steady progression through the middle overs but Patel’s half century was highly dramatic.

He lifted Breese high over the leg side. MacLeod hovered underneath and took the catch, right on the rope. Sportingly – as the ground began to rise to acknowledge his effort – he signalled that he had touched the boundary. The six took Patel to 52 (54 balls 4x4 1x6) but next ball he feathered behind to Mustard to end a stand of 97 in 16.2 overs.

Hopes of an unlikely run chase were handicapped by the departure of two key batsman in quick succession. Wessels (9) fell in the 35^th over, a third wicket for Breese coming by way of a Muchall catch at long on.

Franklin (1) went 2 overs later, held by a diving Stoneman at extra cover, off Rushworth.

A couple of run outs didn’t help the cause. Read (12) pushed out on the off side and set off but couldn’t get back as Hastings completed the execution. Shahzad (1) was then sent back to the pavilion after a direct hit from Jennings.

Taylor’s 100 came from exactly 100 balls (10x4 1x6) but the captain couldn’t see the side home on his own.

Fletcher (19) offered some support before being taken by MacLeod off Rushworth and it was left to Stokes – man of the match – to wrap things up by having Taylor (114) caught by Jennings at short third man. 

Durham Jets now face Warwickshire in the Final at Lord’s on September 20^th, leaving Notts to concentrate on their final two LV= County Championship fixtures, beginning with the home match with Yorkshire on Tuesday.