Previous Page  14 / 26 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 14 / 26 Next Page
Page Background

COVERED

An eye on the opposition

When the pyrotechnics blast, with

the floodlights on, and Notts Outlaws

emerge from the Trent Bridge pavilion

to take on the Birmingham Bears on

Friday 20 May, supporters could be

forgiven for feeling a sense of glorious

déjà vu.

It will be a year, almost to the

day, since the sides clashed in the

corresponding fixture in 2015,

an occasion that was lit up by the

monumental ball striking of Alex

Hales.

“He hit six sixes in a row didn’t

he?You need him out,” admits

Birmingham Bears’ all-rounder Rikki

Clarke who, in tandem with the likes

of England pacemen ChrisWoakes

& Boyd Rankin and New Zealand

off-spinner Jeetan Patel, will likely

be responsible for controlling the

Outlaws’ batting on the night.

“He’s a very good player, a class act;

he’s shown that for his country” said

the former England man.

If the Outlaws’ big-hitter in chief is

selected for the First Investec Test by

England, Clarke and the Bears will

nevertheless have to contend with

While much of the pre-tournament attention lies, naturally, on Notts Outlaws,

three opposition heavyweights weigh in on their sides’ chances in the Blast and

their view on Trent Bridge from an away player’s perspective.

An eye on the

opposition

HAMISH RUTHERFORD IN NUMBERS

1,890T20 runs at 24.54

SevenT20I appearances for New Zealand

Man of the Match for New Zealand against

England in 2013, scoring a 35-ball 62.