Patel torpedos Essex as Notts avoid another stumble

Nottinghamshire 162 for 7 (Smith 50, ten Doeschate 3-19) beat Essex 123 (Ryder 47, Patel 4-20) by 39 runs Scorecard

Just mention the phrase “T20 quarter-final” and it has been enough for Nottinghamshire and Essex to need psychological counselling. When the two English counties who, above all others, have flattered to deceive when it most matters were thrown together in the first NatWest Blast last-eight tie at Trent Bridge something had to give and it was Nottinghamshire who progressed to Finals Day by a 39-run margin.

Such a convincing win looked improbable as Essex set off in pursuit of Nottinghamshire’s 162 for 7, but Samit Patel’s left-arm slows emphatically turned the tie in their direction, beginning Essex’s decline with three wickets in four balls. Patel finished with 4 for 20, his best T20 figures, drawing a standing ovation from a 13,500 crowd at Trent Bridge as he danced around in celebration, a tranquil, barrel-shaped soul as pumped up as at any time in his career.

Add the understated craft of Steven Mullaney and the flamboyant legspin of Imran Tahir to Patel’s night to remember and Nottinghamshire’s trio of slow bowlers returned figures of 7 for 60 in 12 overs.

Jesse Ryder termed the Trent Bridge surface “one of the best I have batted on this season” – the majority view in the Nottinghamshire dressing room was that they were 10 runs light – and, after riding his luck in the opening over, he punched some glorious back-foot cover drives as evidence in his 47 from 30 balls.

But there were mental gremlins to contend with and, although Essex’s opening pair were 62 runs to the good in the Powerplay, dread quickly set in once the spinners took a hold in the middle overs. Suddenly, every dot ball was cheered as the mood of the crowd was transformed in a few overs.

Once Ryder had departed, run out backing-up when the bowler, Mullaney, deflected the ball back onto the stumps, Nick Browne’s poise …

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