The Notts Outlaws beat Glamorgan by 87 runs to become Yorkshire Bank40 Champions as Samit Patel took three wickets for one run in nine balls, whilst Chris Read (53) and David Hussey (42) added 99 in 15.2 overs in a decisive stand after the Outlaws had been put in to bat in at Lord's.
The Welsh county, who named an unchanged team from the one that defeated the Hampshire Royals at the Ageas Bowl, won the toss and opted to bowl first in the cloudy conditions as they attempt to celebrate their 125th anniversary by winning their first-ever showpiece one-day final at the historic ground. Michael Hogan and Jim Allenby duly took the new ball in the overcast conditions with Hogan nearly trapping Michael Lumb l.b.w. in his opening over, whilst the frugal Allenby conceded just a single in his opening over. Hogan also beat the outside and inside edge of the bat in a feisty opening salvo at the Pavilion End as the Outlaws openers were restricted to ten singles and a solitary two in the opening thirty balls.
As the floodlights came on in the sixth over, the Outlaws scored their first boundary as Michael Lumb pulled Allenby to the ropes at mid-wicket, just over the head of Gareth Rees who was positioned on the drive in a close catching position. This heralded a flurry of boundaries as Alex Hales then off-drove Hogan, before Lumb drilled Allenby to long-on for another four. Another boundary followed next ball albeit fortuitously as he miscued a pull, but there was no doubting what happened to the next ball as he unfurled a massive drive for six over long-on as the Outlaws ended the powerplays on 47/0.
With light drizzle falling, Simon Jones then entered the attack at the Pavilion End, whilst the spin of Andrew Salter was introduced at the Nursery End, and with his second delivery, the youngster made the breakthrough as Lumb chipped a ball straight back to the delighted bowler as the Outlaws lost their first wicket on 52.
Six runs later Jones struck a second blow as Hales miscued to Murray Goodwin at deep extra cover as James Taylor and Samit Patel joined forces for the Outlaws, but the bowlers continued to keep things tight and with some energetic fielding, by Gareth Rees. Dean Cosker and Graham Wagg in particular, the pre-match favourites were largely restricted to one's and two's.
In a bid to break free from the shackles, Patel tried to loft Salter over mid-off but he only proceeded to drive straight to Rees as the Outlaws lost their third wicket on 80 in the 18th over. A rare loose ball from Jones saw Taylor strike the paceman to long-on for four before the batsman cover drove another delivery later in the over, but the veteran had the last laugh as to the final ball, Taylor edged into Wallace's gloves with the Outlaws on 90/4.
It might have become 94/5 but a diving Rees could not quite hold onto a low drive from David Hussey who then celebrated his good fortune by driving the next ball from Salter straight for four as further drizzle descended over the historic ground. Jones nearly completed his quota with a maiden as his last ball was on-driven for four to finished with the excellent figures of 8-0-36-2.
Hogan then replaced Jones for an over at the Pavilion End and kept the squeeze on by yielding just two singles, with Read having to take a chance against Cosker, lofting the ball over Hogan at long-on. He then lofted Allenby for six when the all-rounder returned at the Pavilion End before Hussey also opted for the aerial route hitting Cosker inside-out over cover as the fifth wicket pair shared a fifty stand in nine overs.
Hussey greeted the return of Salter by striking him for successive fours before Read swept Cosker for four. Wagg then replaced Salter and driven for four over long-off by Read, who then swept Cosker for another boundary and with the Outlaws on 183/4 from 34 overs they took the batting powerplay as Reed reached his fifty by driving Wagg straight for six. But next ball a superb stop at cover by Ben Wright saw a mix-up in calling and Hussey was run out after adding 99 in 15.2 overs with his captain.
Graham Swann arrived at the wicket with his county on 189/5 and he started by splicing the ball for two and four, but Hogan returned at the Nursery End and took his 98th wicket of the year as Read spliced a drive to Cooke at deep extra cover. A square-drive by Steven Mullaney then brought up the 200 in the 36th over before an outside edge by Swann also saw the Outlaws gain another boundary as the ball sped to third man.
Swann also harpooned a full toss from Hogan over mid-wicket for four, before Mullaney drove Hogan for successive fours as the Outlaws ended on 230/6 at the end of the powerplays. Mullaney also swatted Wagg for four in the penultimate over before being bowled by the left-armer's final delivery. Swann and Stuart Broad then scampered seven runs in the final over before Hogan bowled Broad with the final ball of the innings as the Outlaws ended on 244/8.
Mark Wallace and Gareth Rees began Glamorgan's reply as Broad opened at the Pavilion End, but it was Harry Gurney at the Nursery End who struck an early blow as Wallace was caught in the gully with just four runs on the board. The left-hander then found the edge of Chris Cooke's bat but the ball dropped short of the slip cordon, whilst Broad then had an appeal for l.b.w. turned down against the Glamorgan number three.
Rees responded by cutting Gurney for four before twice savagely pulling Broad for four, whilst Cooke also steered Broad through backward point for four. Rees then pulled Gurney for four as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 40/1. But Ajmal Shahzad duly replaced Broad at the Pavilion End and with his fourth ball he bowled Rees.
Swann also entered the attack at the Nursery End as a steer through the slips by Cooke took Glamorgan to the 50-mark followed by a fine lofted drive against the England spinner. At the other end, Allenby quietly worked the ball around before Mullaney replaced Swann and was pulled for four by Cooke. Allenby also found the ropes against Mullaney as he drilled him through mid-wicket before Swann switched to the Pavilion End and was deftly cut for three by the all-rounder as the fifty stand came up.
Patel also replaced Mullaney at the Nursery End but the pair continued to work the ball around with Cooke also lofting Swann just over the outstretched arms of Broad at mid-off as Glamorgan reached the 100-mark in the 19th over as a rendition of "Bread of Heaven" briefly broke out. But it was the Outlaws who were smiling shortly afterwards as a jubilant Patel bowled Cooke for 46.
His departure saw Goodwin join Allenby as Broad also returned to the fray in a bid to further stifle Glamorgan's progress, but it was Patel who allowed the Outlaws to make further inroads as Allenby was bowled by a sharply turning delivery before 115/4 became 118/5 as Goodwin departed l.b.w. to the spinner. With 127 needed off 16 overs Wright and Wagg joined forces and garnered a series of singles as Swann and Patel bowled in tandem, before Wagg clipped Patel through mid-wicket for four, and Wright reverse-swept Swann for three before Glamorgan took their batting powerplay, needing 101 from the last 10 overs.
Shahzad duly returned to the attack and struck with his first delivery as Wright drove to Lumb at mid-on before two balls later having Salter l.b.w. as Glamorgan slipped further to 147/7. Wagg then drilled Shahzad through the covers for four, but Broad then returned and had Cosker caught at mid-off before two balls later having Wagg caught behind off Read. To the last ball of the 33rd over, Broad then ended the contest as Hogan played onto his stumps as Glamorgan ended on 157 as the Outlaws won by 87 runs.
