One-Day Cup Report: Warwickshire v Notts Outlaws
Nottinghamshire maintained their 100 per cent start to the Royal London Cup campaign with a rock solid 118-run North Group win over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
After choosing to bat, they piled up 301 for nine thanks mainly to Ben Slater’s classy 100 (115 balls, 15 fours).
The former Derbyshire batsman’s fifth List A century, and first for Notts, crucially held the innings together when it was wobbling at 98 for four. It then underpinned a total which assumed imposing proportions after punchy contributions from Steve Mullaney (40, 43 balls) and then bowlers James Pattinson (33, 25), Luke Fletcher (32, 22) and Matt Carter (21, 14).
It was another pummelling for Warwickshire two days after they suffered their heaviest ever List A defeat, by 194 runs at Northampton, and in reply they were soon in dire straits again at 22 for four.
There was no way back from there. Liam Banks (57, 60 balls) and Alex Thomson (55, 61 balls) offered the home fans a glimmer of light with maiden List A half-centuries but the Notts bowlers worked their way through the batting to leave the Bears 183 all out.
Nottinghamshire set off at a gallop as Slater and Joe Clarke added 81 in 69 balls but the fall of Clarke (39, 34 balls), caught at deep square leg off George Panayi, triggered the loss of four wickets for 17 runs.
Ben Duckett mispulled Panayi to mid-on, then Jeetan Patel struck twice, bowling Jake Libby through an attempted cut and turning one inside Samit Patel to win an lbw decision.
Mullaney offered Slater intelligent support in a stand of 95 before edging Will Rhodes to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose. Jeetan Patel then returned to drift one on to Slater’s middle stump and turn one inside Tom Moores’s defence to pin him lbw.
At 207 for seven, Nottinghamshire were in danger of coming in short but Fletcher and Pattinson clubbed 51 in six overs before the former holed out to deep mid-wicket to complete Patel’s five for. The indefatigable Kiwi finished with five for 45, his second List A five-for, but Notts’ renowned batting depth then showed itself as number 11 Carter slogged 21 from 14 balls including four from the last ball to raise the 300.
The visitors’ momentum spanned the interval as they took four wickets in the first 37 balls. Carter trapped Pollock lbw, Fletcher induced Dom Sibley to play on and Pattinson’s first ball was a superb off-cutter which Sam Hain edged behind. When Ambrose was castled by Fletcher, it was 22 for four and most of another excellent Edgbaston crowd was resigned to another heavy defeat.
Carter added two wickets in seven balls when Will Rhodes was stumped and Chris Woakes fell lbw. Banks unfurled some clean hits, including five four and two sixes, before lifting Samit Patel to long on.
Thomson compiled a fluent 53-ball half-century but Notts were always comfortable and completed a performance in which they looked every inch contenders for the trophy this season.
