Defending champions Nottinghamshire Outlaws into Vitality Blast quarter-finals

Ten-wicket success against Vikings...
Alex Hales smashed 31 off just nine balls. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Alex Hales smashed 31 off just nine balls. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Alex Hales smashed 31 off just nine balls. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Defending champions Nottinghamshire Outlaws secured a home quarter-final in this year’s Vitality Blast with a 10-wicket win over Yorkshire Vikings in a match reduced to seven overs per side after rain delayed the start.

With Alex Hales smashing 31 off just nine balls and Peter Trego 29 off 13, the Outlaws overhauled the Vikings’ 60 for three with 20 balls to spare, Hales winning the match by slog-sweeping three sixes in four deliveries off leg spin Josh Poysden.

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After a 8.45pm start, Yorkshire’s total always looked a little light, especially after opting to bat first in a shortened match. Jordan Thompson made 28 from 19 balls and Adam Lyth 26 off 18, but Dane Paterson took two for five in his one over, and Samit Patel one for seven from two.

The result leaves second-placed Vikings still needing one more point from two matches to be sure of their place in the last eight.

The Vikings suffered a big blow at the start when they lost Harry Brook, the competition’s top run scorer with 463, to a third-ball duck, failing to connect as he went down the pitch to Patel and smartly stumped by Tom Moores.

Yorkshire managed only 12 runs in the 13-ball Powerplay section of the abbreviated innings and were fortunate not to lose a second wicket as a leaping Alex Hales just failed to grab the ball in the air at mid-on as Jordan Thompson went aerial to off-spinner Matt Carter.Lyth got things moving with six off a Luke Fletcher full toss and Carter conceded two boundaries in the fourth over but Patel slammed on the brakes, giving away only three runs in the fifth.

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An expensive over from Fletcher, with three wides, a six by Thompson and two fours added 19 to the total but Lyth was caught at long-on and Thompson at extra cover as Dane Paterson conceded a miserly five runs in the final over. On-loan San Northeast made his debut but did not face a ball.

By contrast, the Outlaws were off to a flying start, Trego hitting the first two balls sent down by England’s Dom Bess to the rope in an over that cost 18 runs including four boundaries.

Hales survived a sharp chance to backward point off Matthew Fisher but then cleared the rope with a superbly executed uppercut, helping the Outlaws to be 29 without loss from the Powerplay.

Three more boundaries in the third over from Matthew Waite took the total to 45 before Hales finished the job in style, making light of the absence of Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke from their batting line-up.

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