Nottinghamshire 199 for 9 (Patel 52, Moores 51, Chappell 3-25) Leicestershire 180 for 9 (Dexter 43, Christian 2-32) by 19 runs
Scorecard
Champions Nottinghamshire completed a second successive victory, with a bowling attack that showed its experience as the Outlaws beat East Midland neighbours Leicestershire by 19 runs at the Fischer County Ground.
“They strangled us well in the middle overs,” Foxes’ captain Colin Ackermann said, after seeing his side collapse from 80 for 2 to 102 for 6 when in pursuit of a target that did not look unattainable on a good wicket and with a lightning quick outfield.
Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel said his side had completed a “convincing” win. “The intent we showed when we batted was good, Tom [Moores] and I managed a good partnership, and we accelerated nicely. Then we bowled to our plans and got wickets at the right time, because it’s always tough chasing ten an over.”
The visitors’ total was based on a partnership of 97 for the third wicket between Patel and Moores. Coming together when Riki Wessels’ attempt to pull a quick delivery from Zak Chappell gave Mohammad Abbas a simple catch at mid-on, leaving the visitors on 17 for 2, both batsmen made half-centuries, albeit in contrasting styles.
Patel, all wristy flicks, timing and placement, reached his fifty first, off 26 balls with ten fours, before holing out to long-on off Callum Parkinson. The young left-arm spinner picked up the wicket of Moores in the same over. Moores had just reached his fifty with a bludgeoned six over midwicket before his attempt to repeat the shot was well held by Raine.
Captain Dan Christian, while unable to repeat his heroics of Friday evening, when he hit a century off 37 balls at Northampton, ensured his side would get close to 200 by thumping 47 from 29.
Leicestershire’s reply began solidly enough, Cameron Delport and Neil Dexter compiling an opening partnership of 51 before Luke Fletcher yorked Delport for 33 in the final over of the Powerplay.
Mark Cosgrove’s immediate dismissal for a duck, brilliantly caught by Steven Mullaney, one handed high to his right at midwicket, was a hammer blow to the Foxes’ chances, but the clatter of wickets that followed the loss of Dexter did not make for pretty viewing for the sizeable home crowd.
Lewis Hill was caught slog-sweeping at deep backward square, Ackermann and Raine at deep midwicket, and although Mohammad Nabi, and in the final over, Abbas, hit out to good effect, there was never a sense that the Outlaws’ score was under any real pressure.
“That we got quite close without looking likely to chase it down was frustsrating,” Ackermann said. “We’ve had a few decent knocks, but nothing really substantial and match-winning in the last two matches.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo