Notts Outlaws embark upon a tough-looking weekend of NatWest T20 Blast cricket when they head to Northampton on Friday evening to face the Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

Northants are enjoying a successful campaign in this competition and lead the North Group table, with 14 points from nine fixtures. They’ve won six times and only experienced just one defeat.

Notts go into the match in fourth spot in the group, with nine points from eight matches.

Following hot on the heels of this contest, the Outlaws are then back in action on Saturday, when they face Worcestershire Rapids at home.

Notts won the recent meeting between the two sides at New Road but the Rapids remain above the Outlaws, with 10 points from 10 games.

Head To Head

Notts and Northants have played relatively few times in the domestic T20 competition, often having been placed in different geographical groups.

Of the seven scheduled meetings, Notts are yet to lose – with them having achieved four victories. Two contests have been tied and the 2011 match-up at Wantage Road was washed away without a ball being bowled.

At Northampton, Notts triumphed in 2014 and tied in 2010.

The sides have met in the last three finals of the popular pre-season Barbados T20 Cup competition, with Notts winning on each occasion. Notts also won the only other contest played on the island, a quarter-final in 2013.

Last Meeting

The last time the two sides met at Wantage Road was on 23 July 2014. Notts made 174 for six after winning the toss and opting to bat first.

Former Steelbacks player Riki Wessels hit 64 from 38 deliveries for the Outlaws, crunching six fours and two big sixes in his 51-minute knock.

Samit Patel scored 42 and shared in a stand of 102 with Wessels for the third wicket.

Northants lost both Richard Levi and David Willey for single figure scores, each out in the third over to Ajmal Shahzad.

Kyle Coetzer made 67 but his side were always well behind the required run-rate and they closed on 152 for seven, leaving the Outlaws to take the points by a 22-run margin.

History

Apart from uncompleted and abandoned matches, Notts have played 135 times in the domestic T20 competition, winning 78 times and losing on 55 occasions.

The other two matches were both tied – both in 2010 – and both against Northants.

At Trent Bridge, the Steelbacks were restricted to 121 for seven, with Darren Pattinson taking four for 19.

Notts were plunged into trouble, early in their chase as Chaminda Vaas claimed three for seven in an opening burst, which left the hosts on 23 for four.

Steven Mullaney steadied the ship with 53 from 43 balls but fell at the start of the final over, bowled by Andrew Hall. Five were needed from four deliveries and it looked to be all over when Graeme White hit a boundary but both he and last man Pattinson were run out in a frantic finale, leaving the teams to share a point apiece.

At Northampton, three weeks later, Notts made 144 for seven, with David Hussey scoring 41 and Samit Patel 40.

In a similarly chaotic ending to their innings Northants came up just short, having had three players run out in the final over of their innings, which had begun with ten needed for victory.

Stats

(for all domestic T20 meetings between Notts & Northants)

Highest Team Total:

Notts: 213-6 (Trent Bridge, 2006)

Nhants: 173-5 (Trent Bridge, 2015)

Highest Individual Score:

Notts: 71 DJ Hussey (Trent Bridge, 2006)

Nhants: 84 JJ Cobb (Trent Bridge, 2015)

Best Bowling:

Notts: 4-19 DJ Pattinson (Trent Bridge, 2010)

Nhants: 3-16 WPUJC Vaas (Trent Bridge, 2010)

Played For Them Both

The best figures taken by any Notts bowler in the T20 belong to Graeme White, The slow left arm spinner returned five for 22 in a 2013 home win over Lancashire Lightning.

White began his professional career with Northamptonshire before moving to Trent Bridge in 2010, where he played in 15 first class, 33 one-day and 32 T20 matches.

He returned to Wantage Road for the start of the 2014 campaign.

Other players to have represented both Notts and Northants include Usman Afzaal, Nicky Boje, Mark Bowen, Jason Brown, Phil Jaques, Lance Klusener, Jake Libby, Richard Logan, David Lucas, Wayne Noon, Ben Phillips, Bilal Shafayat, Graeme Swann and Riki Wessels.

Milestones

Greg Smith (934) needs 66 more runs to reach 1,000 in T20 cricket.

Michael Lumb (923) needs a further 77 runs to reach 1,000 T20 runs for Notts.

Samit Patel (48) needs 2 more catches to reach 50 in T20 cricket

Coverage

For live scorecard, updates and a link to the BBC’s live commentary, Trent Bridge Live is your perfect match companion.

 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast Fixtures & Ticket Information

Vs. Worcestershire Rapids – Saturday 9 July 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

Vs. Yorkshire Vikings – Friday 15 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS

Vs. Leicestershire Foxes – Friday 29 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS

Need more information? Call our ticket office on 0844 8118711.

Supporters with tickets for the rained off matches against Derbyshire & Durham, simply present them on the gate to gain entry at any regular season fixture during the remainder of the season.