Samit sets up an Outlaws stroll

ALEX Hales smashed 60 off 24 balls as Nottinghamshire thrashed Worcestershire by 10 wickets to go top of the North Group on a night of records in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge.

Veteran all-rounder Samit Patel, who became the first English player to complete the double of 250 wickets and 5,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket as the Outlaws beat Derbyshire last week, became the first bowler to take 100 wickets at Trent Bridge in the format and only the second to take 100 wickets on any single ground in the world.

And his figures of three for four from four overs with one maiden, as Worcestershire were restricted to a paltry 86 for eight in their 20 overs, was the most economical four-over spell by any bowler in English T20 cricket history.

The Outlaws’ margin of victory set an English T20 record too, Hales seeing them home with 82 balls to spare with his 11th four, eclipsing the previous biggest win by that measure when Hampshire beat Gloucestershire by seven wickets at Bristol in 2010 with 75 balls remaining.

Hales reached his half-century from only 18 balls, having hit two sixes, as Nottinghamshire, who had limited their opponents to 20 for four in the six powerplay overs, reached the end of their powerplay needing only two more runs to win at 85 without loss.

The big-hitting opener took 24 in a single over off the former Nottinghamshire spinner Ish Sodhi, going four-four-six-four-six as a crowd of just over 3,500 showed their appreciation.

Joe Clarke finished on 26 from 14 balls at the other end, the players leaving the field in time to watch England (or Scotland) in action in the Euros.

Asked to bat first, the Rapids lost Brett D’oliveira to his first ball, edging Patel to slip with a tentative push, and were three down for six after four balls of the left-arm spinner’s second over after Tom Fell was stumped and Riki Wessels sent a leading edge into the hands of backward point. Ben Cox hit Jake Ball to mid-off to leave them 11 for four.

Jake Libby and Ross Whiteley added 46 for the fifth wicket, but Whiteley’s drive down the ground off Calvin Harrison’s leg spin was the only boundary between them and were both out in the 13th over, as Steven Mullaney had Whiteley caught at long on and Libby at point.

Ben Dwarshuis picked up the only other four of the innings as he cut Jake Ball to the rope but Ball hit back by dismissing Ed Barnard, caught at long off, and then bowling Dwarshuis next ball in the next over.

None of the Outlaws bowlers conceded in double figures in any of the 20 overs.

The Rapids’ total was their lowest for a full 20 overs in the history of the format.