Falcons narrowly beaten at Trent Bridge

Half-centuries from Leus du Plooy (58 not out) and Luis Reece (56) were not enough, as Derbyshire Falcons were beaten by two runs in the Vitality Blast fixture against Notts Outlaws.

Samit Patel hit three sixes and six fours in an unbeaten 62 – his first half-century in the format for three years in his 110th consecutive appearance – and in taking two for 14 from three overs of his left-arm spin entered the record books as the first English player to complete the double of 250 wickets and 5,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket.

Luis Reece hit 56 from 26 balls and Leus Du Plooy an unbeaten 58 including a six off the last ball but Derbyshire fell two runs short of their target of 153.

Ben Duckett supported Patel with 38 off 25 balls as the Outlaws totalled 152 for six, the wickets shared equally between seamers Logan Van Beek and George Scrimshaw.

Asked to bat first, the Outlaws lost top scorers Alex Hales and Joe Clarke in the opening over, Hales leg before for a duck after Logan Van Beek’s opening delivery was called wide, Clarke well caught by Billy Godleman on the run from mid-off.

Debutant Sol Budinger confidently cut his first ball for four off Conor McKerr but was dropped at mid-off in the same over and  miscued Van Beek to be caught by the wicketkeeper in the next.

The Outlaws were restricted to 40 for three from a 4.3 over powerplay before Scrimshaw removed Tom Moores. Duckett pulled Luis Reece for the first six of the night but fell when Scrimshaw found some extra bounce and had him caught at backward point. Scrimshaw claimed his third wicket as Mullaney holed out to midwicket but Patel lifted Finn Hudson-Prentice and Critchley’s leg spin over the rope in a 23-ball half-century and did the same to McKerr.

Derbyshire were 19 without loss after an untidy first over by spinner Matt Carter. They were checked by Jake Ball taking wickets with his first two balls as Harry Came looped to deep gully and Billy Godleman hit straight to mid-off but Luis Reece hit Luke Fletcher for 18 and there were sixes for both Reece and Leus du Plooy in Ball’s second over as Derbyshire posted 61 for two in the powerplay.

Reece fell when he picked out Hales on the long-on boundary before Patel took his place in the record books by pinning Critchley leg before as the left-arm spinner teamed up with skipper Mullaney in stemming the flow of runs, Patel bowling Hudson-Prentice, before holding a tricky catch as Carter dismissed Brooke Guest.

Du Plooy hit three sixes to take the Falcons close but ultimately not close  enough.