Nottinghamshire 173 for 6 (Hales 101*) beat Lancashire 166 for 6 (Croft 41, Carter 3-17) by seven runs
Alex Hales orchestrated a narrow Notts victory over Lancashire at Trent Bridge with a fifth T20 hundred that was as impressive for its judgment as much as its ferocity. Hales' unbeaten 101, from 66 balls, was hard won against a determined Lancashire challenge and leaves Notts two points clear at the top of North group.
Hales, aka Johnny Ringo, English cricket's most infamous outlaw, found himself in a solo gunfight. While he fired off 12 fours and four sixes, the rest of the gang managed only eight boundaries between them. Even Hales was never entirely sure of his timing, but while others fell by the wayside, until his captain Steven Mullaney provided crucial late support, he just viewed it all laconically and got on with the job.
"T20 hundreds don't come around very often," Hales said. "I felt like I wasn't my usual self so I had to rein it in a bit. I didn't think it was a particularly easy pitch to start on - there was a lot of steep bounce - but once we got a couple of partnerships going we managed to expand a bit."
Destructive batsman he might be, destructive lifestyle he might have been accused of at times, but he also showed impressive concern when he swung Tom Hartley, Lancashire's tall and lithe left-arm spinner, over square leg for six. The ball hit a spectator in the face and Hales immediately jogged to the boundary to check on his health as members of St John Ambulance and Notts' physio, James Pipe, also intervened.
Hales now has the third most runs in the Blast, outdone by Leus du Plooy, who is relatively unswung in Derbyshire's top order, and Glenn Phillips, Gloucestershire's New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman. His strike rate, at 172.68, is surpassed by five players who have made more than 200 runs, including his prolific opening partner Joe Clarke.
Sajid Mahmood held him to a run a ball, the tall and lithe left-arm spinner Tom Hartley not too far short of that. But he took full toll on the rest of Lancashire's attack, none more so than his former Notts teammate, Luke Wood, whose left-arm pace was milked for 31 from 16 balls, amid a degree of good fortune.
He reached his fifty off Wood in bizarre fashion when he ducked a bouncer but glanced a boundary off a periscope bat. He was also fortunate against Wood, on 90, when his top-edged pull flew over the keeper for four. But no shot was more resplendent than the six that brought up his 100, his second in T20s for Notts, a short and wide one from Wood that he heaved over long on with merciless intent.
Batting success in T20 is achieved by fine margins: Clarke failed on this occasion, slicing the excellent Mahmood to mid-off in the first over; Hales just cleared mid-on two overs later when Danny Lamb might have envisaged a similar outcome. Instead, Hales tormented Lamb in a 18-run over that set Notts moving, sowing confusion by swaggering around the crease wherever the mood took him.
Hales was also involved in the run out of Sol Budinger, unwisely forcing him into a single to Finn Allen at backward point after initial hesitation by both batters. Budinger's last-ball misfield had cost Notts against Derbyshire the previous night and he walked off with much puffing off cheeks.
Notts' middle order unravelled against a trio of Lancashire spinners, the weakest shot coming from Tom Moores, who tried to waft a wide one from Steven Croft, off one knee, over long off. Hales desperately needed support - just a sense of stability - and it came from Mullaney's 25 from 16 as he stuck around for Hales's late surge.
Notts have tied three matches this season, including the first meeting between these sides at Old Trafford last Sunday and another one looked eminently possible for much of Lancashire's innings.
Alex Davies gave them a flyer with five sixes in his 39 from 15 balls, but Clarke put a stop to that on the square leg boundary, momentarily stepping over the rope with his right foot before pirouetting on his left to take a graceful one-legged catch.
That wicket was one of three cheap ones for Matt Carter. The big offspinner is having an influential season; his tally of 13 wickets at an economy rate a touch over seven is arguably as good as it gets. He also bowled Allen, who failed to pull a length ball, and had Rob Jones lbw.
Lancashire's most wasteful moment was the run out of Lamb, whose lethargic response to Croft's desire for a second run saw him yards short of his ground. From 101 for 5, Croft and Wood then shared a stand of 52 in 39, with Croft dropped on 20 at backward point, before being injured while stealing a bye to the wicketkeeper. After treatment, he was dismissed next ball as he failed to pull off a scoop.
With 20 needed from eight balls, Lancashire never threatened. The game had been closed out in solid fashion by Luke Fletcher and Jake Ball. Four other members of an uncelebrated attack have gone at under 7.5 runs an over this season and this, allied to the acknowledged class of Hales and Clarke at the top of the order, is making them a tougher opposition than some anticipated. Lancashire, meanwhile, are a point outside the top four.
David Hopps writes on county cricket for ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps
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