Notts Outlaws will have to go down a familiar route if they are to win the Barbados T20 Cup for a fourth consecutive year.
In each of their last two successes they have triumphed over Northants Steelbacks in the final of this competition and the Wantage Road outfit ensured their passage through to the weekend’s showpiece event with a comfortable 56-run win over a young Barbados XI in the opening match of the competition.
The Outlaws still have a stiff obstacle to overcome before they can contemplate a place in the final, with a challenging semi final against Hampshire due to take place at Kensington Oval on Sunday morning (10am local time, 2pm in the UK).
The losers of that match will then face the Barbados XI in the Plate Final (2pm local time, 6pm in the UK), with Northants awaiting their opponents in the 6pm (10pm in the UK) final.
Steven Crook played the pivotal innings to ease any Steelbacks’ concerns, finishing on 84 not out, his runs coming from 56 balls, with five fours and four sixes. Adam Rossington made 46 and David Murphy was unbeaten on 30 as the county side totalled 184 for four.
With their first XI away in Trinidad and another seven players in the West Indies ICC World T20 squad, the Barbados line-up contained many up and coming youngster. Keon Harding, a lively right-arm seam bowler, shone for them with figures of three for 32.
When the island batted, they had useful contributions from Marlon Welcome Goodman, Aaron Jones and David Carter but could only muster 128 for four, largely down to some impressive bowling from the visiting attack, with Mohammed Azharullah returning the stand-out of figures of 4-1-25-3.
Put in, under blue skies and a hot sun, Northants were offered an early diet of no balls and free hits yet still lost three wickets in the opening powerplay. Josh Cobb fell to a good catch by Dane Currency, running back at mid on, to end the opening stand on 22 and Ben Duckett followed immediately, nibbling his first ball into the hands of the 'keeper.
Both wickets had been taken by Harding, bowling from the Joel Garner End and he picked up a third scalp, bowling Alex Wakeley to leave the county side on 45 for three after six overs.
Rossington then got into his stride with the help of three towering sixes, one of them high into the Greenidge and Haynes Stand at midwicket. His lead was soon followed by Crook, who bludgeoned his first maximum straight back over the bowler’s head.
Spin wasn’t introduced until the tenth over and it produced the downfall of Rossington, who went looking for his fifty but only found the safe hands of long on.
That was the fourth and final breakthrough for the hosts, with Crook and Murphy remaining together to post an unbroken 91 for the fifth wicket. Crook’s half century was brought up with his third six and came from only 31 deliveries faced.
Any likelihood of a thrilling run chase was soon dashed by Mohammed Azharullah who removed both openers, Kyle Corbin and Rashidi Boucher in his first two overs.
Jones scored 30 before miscuing an attempted reverse off Josh Cobb and then Azharullah bowled Carter for 26.
Some late hitting from Welcome Goodman propelled him to 40 not out, but his side were always destined to finish well short and will now contest Sunday’s Plate Final.
The 2015 season saw dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.