Report: Bears v Outlaws, Abu Dhabi T20 Super Cup Final
Bears’ defence of the Abu Dhabi T20 Super Cup was ended by Notts Outlaws after a 63-run defeat in the final showdown.
They were all out for 91 in 14.4 overs, chasing Outlaws’ 154/6, as they failed to recover from a disastrous start that saw them fall to three for two.
Bears had topped their group on net run rate having thrashed Yorkshire on Saturday, while Notts qualified on the back of comfortable wins against SACA (South Asian Cricket Academy) and Somerset.
It was a repeat of last year’s inaugural final that Bears bossed with a nine-wicket win – but it was a very different sequel after Outlaws’ James Haynes clattered 83 in just 51 balls.
Skipper Alex Davies elected to bowl and Ed Barnard, who conceded just two runs in his first over, struck in his second as Freddie McCann flicked deep to Miles on the boundary.
Lyndon James (25, 20 balls) also perished in the deep as he mistimed a waft at Mousley and sent a regulation catch to Sam Hain. That left the Outlaws on 67/2 after nine overs.
Lintott (4-0-21-1) turned the screw and Ali returned to concede just two off his third over as Bears’ bowlers leaked just four runs in a 12-ball spell.
The pressure was relieved in lavish style at the end of the 15th over, though, as Haynes crashed two successive sixes off Miles to bring up his 50 and take Notts to three figures. And he doubled the dose at the start of the 17th over, clubbing two maximums off Mousley.
But Bears rallied at the death. Lintott got his reward by bowling Tom Moores (20) before Booth struck twice in the penultimate over. Haynes tried ramping a wide one but only lobbed a simple catch to Davies and beat Matt Montgomery for pace LBW next ball.
Miles started the final over by bowling Liam Patterson-White and conceded just a solitary run in his closing six deliveries.
It meant Bears gave away only 22 runs off the last 22 balls as they went into the chase buoyed.
However, the reply got off to the worst possible start as they found themselves three down for two runs after 13 balls.
Davies tried to guide one outside off stump from Dillon Pennington and glanced to slip at the end of the first over.
Yates’ effort to improvise saw him scoop up a catch off Conor McKerr and Mousley departed first ball after slicing a wide one high to give Pennington a second scalp.
Barnard (15, 10 balls) hit three boundaries in eight balls, including a classic on drive and a less orthodox running reverse glance. He looked at his imperious best and was unlucky when an effortless flick just failed to evade McCann on the leg-side boundary.
Bears ended the Powerplay at 37/4 and suffered another blow when Sam Hain (18, 23 balls) top edged Robert Lord.
Kai Smith carved away two beautiful cuts for four and Hamza Shaikh hoisted one high into the Abu Dhabi night sky as Bears’ first maximum came at the end of an 11th over that yielded 12 runs.
They put on a 38-run partnership before Shaikh (17, 12 balls) was caught at square leg pulling a short one off James.
It was the first of three wickets to fall in four balls as Smith (27, 22 balls) was caught trying to cut away another boundary off Patterson-White and Lintott LBW sweeping first ball.
Booth and Miles soon followed as Bears lost their last five wickets for six runs.
Warwickshire return to pre-season tour action in a two-day red ball game against Nottinghamshire starting on Wednesday 19 March.
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