Michael Lumb has dedicated Notts Outlaws’ eight-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes to the fans and has called for another big turnout when Notts take on the Essex Eagles in the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast.
The Outlaws won by the Duckworth-Lewis method, finishing 146-2, after rain affected play at Trent Bridge, with Lumb undefeated on 69 off 26 balls.
Leicestershire were put in after Notts won the toss and elected to field, and the emphatic batting of the Outlaws’ top order overhauled their local rivals, in a result which marks the Outlaws’ eighth successive victory in the competition.
The left-hand batsman admits it meant a lot to win in-front of a crowd of 12,810.
“We love playing in-front of the fans and tonight, especially, is the for the guys who came down, those who stayed in the rain, got wet and could’ve gone home but stayed,” he said.
“Come and support us in the quarter-final (on Monday, 8 August, at Trent Bridge), we love having the fans behind us and coming out in big numbers – it’s like having another player on the field. I hope it’s a big turnout for the quarter-final.”
Lumb was in unbelievable form, cracking a whopping nine boundaries and four sixes from just 51 balls, in 51 minutes – and he admits he has felt in-form for quite some time.
“I’ve felt like I’ve been in form for a while now but I’ve found ways of getting out.
“It was a really good pitch, well done to Birksy (groundsman, Steve Birks); it was skidding along really nicely and that suits our game, where you can stand and hit the ball," said Lumb
Lumb was not the only man in the runs as overseas skipper, Dan Christian, briskly swept his way to 54 undefeated, notching four boundaries and six maximums on the way.
“It’s good to see the guys hitting the ball well and Dan struck it beautifully,” said Lumb, paying tribute to the Australian all-rounder.
Christian, at one point, had lamped four sixes and was on for his sixth in an over, and Lumb, at the opposite end, exchanged some encouraging words with his scintillating strike partner.
“I said: ‘You’re on for six, mate, you’re on for six in a row’. And he said: ‘Yeah, I need to keep my shape and watch the ball’. And he swung off his feet and missed it. You don’t see strikes like that, he hits it clean and at the other end it was good to watch.
“He’s definitely an example across the whole competition and he's captained the side really well.”
Lumb believes that Notts’ batsmen are in good enough form in the T20 format to strike down the Eagles in the quarter-final, but that Essex will provide a stern test.
“We’ve played some good cricket, so if we can come out and show the form in the quarter-final, there’s no reason why we can’t win,” he said.
“They’re a good side, a dangerous side, with a lot of experience. They’ve got Ravi Bopara, a good player, Ryan ten Doeschate.
“They’re a good side. They’ve sneaked into the quarter-finals, but they are a good team. They’ve done us before on our home patch, so they’re not to be taken lightly.”
Notts Outlaws will face the Essex Eagles in the quarter-final of the NatWest T20 Blast on Monday 8 August, with tickets going on sale at 9.30am on Monday 1 August.