Hales hammers bowlers as Jets blasted by Notts
A BRUTAL display of ball-striking from Alex Hales powered the Notts Outlaws to a convincing victory over Durham Jets in the NatWest T20 Blast competition.
The England international, who scored an unbeaten 187 to help his county win the Royal London One-Day Cup final a month ago, clubbed nine fours and nine sixes in a stunning innings of 95, made from just 30 deliveries.
West Indies’ star Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest individual T20 century of all-time, getting to the landmark from only 30 balls and Hales could have equalled it but his mighty assault off James Weighell sliced high into the Nottingham sky and then down into the waiting gloves of wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter.
Riki Wessels made an undefeated 41 to ensure Hales’ work didn’t go unrewarded, although there was a clatter of wickets before the home side got over the line to chase down a target of 184 and complete a five-wicket win with 37 balls remaining.
Durham had earlier scored 183-7, after being asked to bat first, with Michael Richardson top- scoring with 53 and Paul Coughlin was left undefeated on 42 from 25 deliveries. The Outlaws’ run chase began in highly dramatic circumstances, with Durham suddenly finding themselves two bowlers short. Thirteen runs, including a six from Hales, came from Weighell’s opening over of the innings but it was the next over that produced a flurry of incidents, with three different bowlers needed to complete the set of six. Ryan Pringle came in for extreme punishment as Hales then took 28 off the next over, passing his 50 from just 19 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. The board read 106-0 at the end of the sixth over, a world record for the powerplay overs. Coughlin must now be a doubt for the return of County Championship cricket at Leicestershire today, but Durham are not short of all-round talent to step in. Usman Arshad and James Weighell are both fit to play and Matthew Potts has a good chance of featuring having been released by England Under-19s from the second “Test” against India to prepare for the game.
Barry McCarthy continued to show promise when Durham were last in fourday action in late June/early July and fitagain South African fast bowler Brydon Carse is also threatening to break into the all-rounder category.
Carse initially made his return as a specialist batsman in the second team and he made an unbeaten century against MCC Young Cricketers this week.
“It’s not surprising really,” Lewis said of the fast bowler’s form with the bat. “We brought him back first as a batsman and gave him the captaincy as well, which was another good opportunity for him.”
Coughlin has had a tough Twenty20 campaign as Durham’s captain, winning just two of 10 games.
And while he has averaged 45 with the bat, he has conceded 11 runs an over with the ball.
“He’s probably got to separate the roles a bit in his own mind,” said coach Jon Lewis. “He’s done well with the batting. It’s probably easier to separate that when you’re in the middle, whereas in the field he’s trying to run 120 balls on his own.
“By his own admission, his plans haven’t been clear in his own mind at times. He’s finding it tough, no doubt about it.”