Notts Outlaws beat Worcestershire Rapids as T20 Blast campaign gets under way

Notts Outlaws won on their return to T20 Blast action at Trent Bridge on Friday (May 27) night against Worcestershire Rapids. The Outlaws won the toss and put the Rapids in to bat, who scored 162/9 off their 20 overs, with Colin Munro top scoring with 66 for the visitors as Luke Fletcher picked up T20 career best bowling figures of 5/32 and was named player of the match.

The Outlaws started strongly in reply, with a 50 partnership coming up for the second wicket and Joe Clarke top scoring with 52 off 34 balls. Despite Worcestershire picking up wickets as the innings went on, it wasn't enough to stop Notts Outlaws from chalking up their first win of the T20 season in their first game with two balls to spare.

Outlaws captain Dan Christian won the toss and put the Rapids in to bat. Spinner Matt Carter opened the bowling and kept it tight in the opening over of the campaign for Notts, before Ed Pollock targeted Luke Fletcher in the second, scoring 16 off the first three balls of the over.

But Pollock then hit a full toss straight to Alex Hales at mid-on to depart for 19. Brett D'Oliveira (7) followed cheaply, and Jack Haynes was dropped on 14 in the sixth.

Haynes (15) did not last too much longer though, edging behind to Tom Moores at the end of the same over as Jake Ball picked up the 100th T20 wicket of his career. Colin Munro and former Outlaw Jake Libby kept rotating the strike with the occasional boundary to frustrate the Outlaws.

Rapids were 86/3 off 10 overs at the halfway stage of their innings. The 100 came up for the Rapids after 11.3 overs, but Libby (15) top edged off Dan Christian shortly after.

Munro (66) brought up his half-century off 33 balls, and started to accelerate the run rate from the 14th. He