Yorkshire dominate at Trent Bridge as Outlaws lose Vitality Blast opener

Yorkshire’s chase had a wobbly beginning. Adam Lyth hit Dillon Pennington straight to mid-off before Pakistan seamer Mohammad Ali removed Will Luxton with a near-unplayable leg-stump yorker, leaving them 11 for two from 10 balls.

Yet they recovered to 50 for two from six after Wharton lofted Pennington for a leg side six and took 16 off Olly Stone’s first over, and Bairstow cleared the rope off Howell.

Bairstow reached 51 from 32 with his fifth four to go with a third six, bringing up the 100 partnership at the same time. Wharton then ramped Ali for an outrageous six to bring the requirement below a run a ball in the 13th.

A huge six over the leg side by Bairstow off Pennington further emphasised his dominance. Wharton was caught behind just after completing his half-century off 39 balls but by then only 13 were needed with five overs still available, Bairstow steering Howell wide of third man for the winning boundary with three and a half overs left unused.

The Notts innings had begun with George Hill uprooting Joe Clarke’s middle stump with his fourth delivery but after Duckett had swatted a six and four fours being caught at wide mid-off, they were 53 for two from the opening six.

George Munsey began strongly but may have felt he should have gone further after picking out deep backward square for 28 off 23.

Jack Haynes went for 20 off 14, slicing to backward point. Tom Moores (28 from 19) then followed the pattern of the innings in failing to build on a strong start as he found Matthew Revis on the leg side boundary to give veteran off-spinner Moeen his maiden Yorkshire wicket. After Chohan took a sharp return catch off his own bowling to remove Lyndon James for nine, Yorkshire looked in control.

Howell cleared the rope three times before being superbly caught at wide long-off from the final delivery of the 20th over - a first Yorkshire wicket for Andrew Tye - to give the visitors a little more of a test. To the disappointment of most in a crowd of 11,843, however, it was not nearly enough.

“Bowling-wise, it started really well but then Johnny then got in and played like Johnny can. So, we've got some tidy-ups to do, there's no doubt about that,” head coach Peter Moores reflected.

“It was the sort of pitch that if two people got in and got free, which I think Wharton and Johnny did, then it was very hard to bowl.

“I thought all of our debutants did well actually. Benny (Howell) batted at his destructive best at the end really, which gave us some sort of score to bowl at, some sort of competitive total really. George Munsey as well looked like he's going to enjoy himself. And I think we saw in those first 12 balls from Mohammad Ali that he's going to be a really good addition.”