Notts relegated after Edgbaston defeat
By Ananova
September 2 2002
Nottinghamshire Outlaws were relegated from Norwich Union League Division One after a spectacular collapse brought a 51-run defeat against Warwickshire Bears at Edgbaston. Victory for the Bears rekindles their outside title chances as the race for the Norwich Union League crown heads for the wire.
| There were two wickets each for Warwickshire's Graham Wagg, Dougie Brown and Neil Smith, while they defended their modest score of 238 for nine with some tenacious fielding. The Bears ran out three Outlaws batsmen to help prompt a calamitous collapse from 144 for two to 187 all out in the 41st over. Chris Read plundered 69 from 70 deliveries as the Outlaws made a flying start to their run chase and Usman Afzaal made 45 from 78 balls before he was run out. But with nobody else able to pick up the mantle, their was an air of inevitability as Nottinghamshire spiralled to defeat. Opener Guy Welton (13) was bowled through the gate by Brown, who then ran out Afzaal with a fine throw to wicketkeeper Tony Frost and Read was caught at deep mid-wicket by Wagg off Smith. That left the Outlaws on 144 for three in the 31st over. Eight overs later it was all over. Skipper Jason Gallian (1) sent one straight back to Michael Powell, Bilal Shafayat (10) top-edged behind to Frost off Smith and Samit Patel (18) was run out by another brilliant Brown throw, this one a direct hit to the bowler's end. With the score on 178 for six in the 38th over, the Outlaws' decline only gathered momentum. Ian Bell ran out Paul Franks (15) to snuff out the merest hint of a fighting finish, his throw to the bowler's end beating the batsman, while Stuart MacGill, Steve Randall and Richard Logan all holed out cheaply to the deep to leave the Outlaws way short of their target. Warwickshire had earlier foresaken the spectacular for the solid, five of their batting line-up making useful contributions without anyone going on to dominate. Bell (54) made a breezy half-century, opener Mark Wagh was denied his by a single and Shaun Pollock made a punishing 39 from 42 deliveries. Jim Troughton also threw the bat to good effect, his 34 coming off 37 balls, while Powell ran well between the wickets, striking just the one boundary in his 22 from 21 deliveries. Nott's left-arm paceman David Lucas took three wickets, while Logan and leg-spinner MacGill claimed two apiece.
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