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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.