‘Notts’ win by 1 run thanks to Ollie Stone’s brilliant performance

Watch how Ollie Stone defended 9 runs in the thrilling final over at Trent Bridge tonight.

Ollie Stone A Trent Bridge Thriller

If you love a close, tense and dramatic thriller, there was only one place for you to be tonight: Trent Bridge. The Nottinghamshire Outlaws drew breath in relief as they battled through a nerve-wracking late order surge from the  Lancashire  Lightning to claim a one-run victory in this high-stakes group stage tussle. 

It’s fair to say both sides put on a show and kept fans on the edge of their seats right up until the final over of the encounter.

Munsey Stays Red-Hot

First, a word about George Munsey, as the Outlaws opener has simply been sublime in recent Blast encounters. Munsey walked to the crease and launched straight into his attacking strokeplay, ultimately finishing on a well-deserved 51 from 39 balls. 

In fact, Munsey’s form has been nothing short of ridiculous of late, with the right-hander scoring a half-century in his past five Blast appearances. He laid a fantastic foundation for Notts’ total,  stroking a six over long on with absolute ease and showing flashes of the player of the tournament form that has seen him in blistering pace recently.

The Middle Order Fires

While Munsey has been in devastating form, he wasn’t alone. As his opening stand partner Tom Moores dispatched 40 from 26 deliveries, and then George Linde followed on with a  composed 37 from 24, Notts accelerated the scoring tempo and added further momentum to their innings. 

Moores and then Linde both played their part in helping Notts post a competitive 181 for 6, despite the score feeling slightly below par on a good batting track.

Lancashire Starts Swinging

Chasing 182 for the win, Lancashire got off to a sensational start as opener Liam Livingstone and his partner Keaton Jennings both looked in devastating form. Jennings cracked a  superb 42  from 29 balls before Livingstone also played his part,  hitting 47 from  31 deliveries as the Lightning posted a competitive total.

Both batters cleared the fence with brutal ease, and their efforts kept Lancashire very much in the game as the required run rate began to rise.

A True Family Affair

The real talking point ahead of the final over went to the explosive young talent in the shape of 17-year-old Joe Moores. Moores faced his family as he looked to help his Lancashire Lightning to a thrilling victory, as his cousin Tom Moores was keeping at the opposite end. Moores also faced his uncle Peter Moores, who is the head coach of county rivals Nottinghamshire. 

The pressure seemed to have little effect on the young talent, who launched into his attacking strokeplay and smashed an incredible 30 from just 21 deliveries. Moores played a huge role for Lancashire, with his efforts on show almost stealing a win from his family members at Notts.

The Final Over Tension

With Lancashire needing nine runs from the final over, the ball was sent to England international Olly Stone, as the tension in the ground reached a boiling point.

Defending such a low score in a T20 match is always a risky proposition, but Stone was calm under the pressure as he took to the crease to face the final over of the encounter.

Catch, Drop, and Drama

The drama in the final over was of the highest order as first Joe Moores was dropped on the boundary, sending gasps of disappointment around the ground. However, Stone was able to avenge the dropped catch as Moores was caught out and sent back to the pavilion three balls later.

The momentum swung back and forth as the final over neared its conclusion, with every ball bowled keeping fans guessing as to which side would ultimately secure the win.

The Final Ball Chaos

It all came down to the final ball as Lancashire needed four runs from the penultimate delivery to win the match. With Jack Blatherwick and Matty Hurst at the crease, the batters looked frantically for a boundary as Blatherwick and Hurst both sprinted for the strike.

Stone came in to bowl the final ball to the two anxious batters, as they both scrambled for a second run. However, the two Lancashire hopefuls could only manage two runs from the final delivery, with the Nottinghamshire Outlaws celebrating a hard-fought one-run victory.

The Winning Streak Continues

With this thrilling one-run victory, the Nottinghamshire Outlaws have extended their remarkable winning streak to six consecutive matches.  The Outlaws have been in incredible form of late and appear to be a very difficult team to beat at the moment. Most importantly,  with this emphatic win, Notts have been able to keep themselves at the top of the North Group table.

What This Means Next

While Lancashire Lightning will be bitterly disappointed to have missed out on a vital away win, the Notts victory serves as a statement that they are a team to be feared in this year’s  T20 Blast. If they can continue this remarkable form and find a way to win close matches, it will be extremely difficult to stop the Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they make a push through the knockout stages.