Hales displays big-hitting repertoire to guide Notts to victory
A whirlwind innings by all-rounder Gareth Andrew, who hit eight fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 62 from 34 balls, gave the home side what seemed to be a workable total of 132-5 in 16 overs.
Nottinghamshire were then set a reduced target of 127 and despite losing Michael Lumb to a stunning catch by Thilan Samaraweera at short mid-wicket, they chalked up their third win in the competition.
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Hide AdThe scenario was ideal for Hales to dip into his repertoire as a Twenty20 international player and he delivered exactly what Nottinghamshire wanted with eight fours and two sixes before he was caught at point off Moeen Ali.
Riki Wessels (28) drove Brett D’Oliveira’s first two deliveries, both full tosses, into the seating at long on before Jack Shantry claimed his second wicket.
There was just a hint of pressure when Daryl Mitchell bowled Samit Patel in a nagging spell of medium-pace but Nottinghamshire had four balls to spare when Steven Mullaney pulled Andrew for the winning boundary.
When the game got under way at 4pm, the conditions could not have been more miserable, with a few hundred spectators huddled round the ground as Worcestershire batted first on a cool, murky afternoon.
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Hide AdMoeen Ali got them off to a blistering start with 28 in four overs. The left hander pulled two sixes while taking 22 off five balls from Andy Carter but then made a tame exit when hoisting the seamer’s next delivery to Ed Cowan at wide mid-on.
This proved to be a catalyst for collapse as Jake Ball, a nephew of former England wicketkeeper Bruce French, and Patel shared four wickets as Worcestershire added only 13 runs in the next five overs.
Patel underlined his value in this form of cricket with 2-8 in a three-over spell before rain took a further 75-minute chunk out of the match.
On the resumption Worcestershire made the most of the remaining 30 balls, plundering 80 runs in all as Andrew roughed up Patel’s figures with 19 in an over and then took 24 off the last over from Steven Mullaney.
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Hide AdAustralian newcomer Michael Johnson chipped in 17 towards an unbroken partnership of 80 in 7.1 overs.
Yesterday’s other Group A game, between Warwickshire and Sussex, was washed out without a ball bowled as were both games in Group C – Gloucestershire v Middlesex and Glamorgan, who were due to play against the Unicorns.
Essex comfortably beat Scotland by 59 runs in Group B, in a match reduced to 29 overs a side.
Openers Tom Westley (63) and Mark Pettini (47) put on 79, James Foster belted 29 from 15 balls and Sajid Mahmood 20 not out from just five to lift the visitors to 217 for seven in Edinburgh.
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Hide AdScotland could not get close despite captain Preston Mommsen’s unbeaten 70 and 64 from Freddie Coleman as Tim Phillips (3-21) restricted them to 158-4.
Only three overs were possible in the other game in the group at Derby, where the hosts reached 12 without loss against Lancashire.