Nottinghamshire Outlaws 217-2
Sussex Sharks 216
Nottinghamshire Outlaws won by eight wickets
The Nottinghamshire Outlaws beat the Sussex Sharks by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex, in Sookholme, this afternoon (Friday 26 July).
Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed made unbeaten centuries as the Notts Outlaws bounced back from defeat at Leicester in their opening match of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
The hosts eased their way to an eight-wicket victory over the Sussex Sharks at the picturesque home of Welbeck Cricket Club, just north of Mansfield.
Opener Slater, who averages more than 53 in the List A format, again demonstrated his penchant for 50-over cricket by scoring 107.
Outlaws skipper Hameed made 101 not out as the pair shared a county List A third-wicket record partnership of 209 to inflict a heavy opening-match defeat on their Group B opponents who managed only one win in last season’s competition.
Sussex were bowled out in the 48th over for 216 despite Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s 90 from 109 balls. The all-rounder hit nine fours and a six but found himself ploughing almost a lone furrow in an under-par performance by his side, who have up to now enjoyed a successful season, booking a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast and building a healthy lead in Division Two of the Vitality County Championship.
Luke Fletcher (three for 35) and Toby Pettman (three for 44) were the most successful Outlaws seamers, although Brett Hutton, who took one for 41 bowling his 10 overs in a single spell, made a strong comeback after three months out with an Achilles injury. Left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White (two for 35) also impressed.
The Outlaws stuttered at the start of their chase, finding themselves 8-2 after losing Freddie McCann for two and Jack Haynes without scoring. But Sussex were unable to make any further inroads as their opponents cruised home with 50 balls to spare.
The 19-year-old McCann, in his second List A appearance, having made his debut at Leicester on Wednesday, spooned a catch to mid-on off Ari Karvelas.
Haynes then registered his second consecutive duck with a loose shot that had him caught behind, after which Slater was fortunate with a top-edge off Karvelas that flashed just out of the wicketkeeper’s reach.
But with a required rate of only 4.34 runs per over and a quick outfield, Slater and Hameed did not need to take risks and were able to comfortably pace their innings once the newness of the balls had worn off. They moved the total to 48-2 from 10 overs, 93-2 from 20 and 140-2 from 30.
Slater found the gaps regularly enough to pass fifty for the 18th time in this format from 54 balls with eight boundaries.
Hameed reached his fifty from 69 balls with his third four. It was a return to form that he will have enjoyed after enduring a lean time last year, if not the shot that took him there, a streaky edge off the leg-spin of Archie Lenham.
The left-handed Slater was seldom troubled, reaching his seventh List A hundred when he pulled Karvelas for his 13th boundary as the Outlaws closed in on their target. Hameed hit the same bowler for six, four, four and one to complete his.
Sussex found the going tough from the outset after opting to bat first. The pitch seemed to lack pace.
In the face of excellent tight bowling at both ends from Hutton and Fletcher, they lost both openers for 14 apiece, leaving them 33-2 by the second ball of the 11th over.
Tom Clark nibbled at one outside off stump off Hutton before Tom Haines edged his drive against Fletcher. Tom Moores did the rest behind the stumps.
Joined by Hudson-Prentice, Oli Carter sought to rebuild but the arrival of Pettman in the attack made scoring no easier.
The 26-year-old seamer, who has had limited opportunities in his four years with Nottinghamshire, was making his first senior appearance since last August.
He made it count with two wickets in two balls as a frustrated Carter found the fielder at mid-on and Sussex captain John Simpson was leg before.
Simpson’s dismissal exposed Sussex’s inexperienced middle-order and Hudson-Prentice soon lost two more partners.
First, 19-year-old Daniel Ibraham was caught at slip for five then 18-year-old Henry Rogers, on his debut, skied to long-on as Patterson-White found immediate turn.
Hudson-Prentice and 20-year-old off-spinner Bertie Foreman added 64 before some smart relay fielding involving extra cover Ben Slater, bowler Lyndon James and keeper Moores ran out the younger player.
Fletcher returned to dismiss Lenham caught behind and Karvelas via a miscued pull, in between which Hudson-Prentice cracked consecutive boundaries off Pettman before he was caught at mid-off, as Sussex were all out with almost three overs wasted.
