Confusing, bemusing and a little bit crazy... Worcestershire beat Notts Outlaws in amazing Blast semi-final

SAM MORSHEAD AT EDGBASTON: Rapids players could not believe what had just happened. The crowd couldn't either. This was cricket at its most befuddling

Edgbaston: Worcestershire Rapids 147-9, Notts Outlaws 146-5 - Worcestershire won by 1 run

Scorecard

Ben Duckett sunk to his haunches, dejected, confused, frankly a little lost.

All around him, Worcestershire Rapids players were running, randomly, in directions north and south - wasps in an upturned wine glass. 

They could not believe what had just happened. The crowd couldn’t either. This was cricket at its most befuddling. 

Somehow, someway, by some fluke or fate, the Rapids had reached the T20 Blast final for the second time in as many years, their title defence remarkably still intact - an extraordinary twist in the tale given, little more than 30 minutes earlier, Alex Hales was threatening to drop it from a fourth-floor balcony.

Hales’ latest reminder to the England selectors that cricketing ability at some point will have to win out over “trust” - a pumping, powerful half-century - had given Notts Outlaws the perfect platform to end a miserable campaign on a high.

Worcestershire had only managed 147 on a surface at Edgbaston which offered plenty for those brave enough to take pace off the ball and Hales had reduced the required rate to no more than 6.5 per over when he departed, caught behind off Moeen Ali.

^{Moeen Ali made 21 for Worcestershire Rapids}

At that point, the Rapids had absolutely no right to think they would be the ones celebrating come the end of proceedings. Most would agree, they had absolutely no hope.

Instead, Notts doused themselves in petrol and began scraping together two blocks of flint.

Their middle order was soon engulfed in flame - tame catches in the ring and utterly avoidable runouts combining to turn a position of total strength to one of abject weakness. 

With 11 balls remaining, the Outlaws needed 11 runs with eight wickets remaining. Given the match would be decided on wickets lost in the event of a tie, they effectively required just 10.

That they could not get over the line was certainly down in part to the calmness and conviction of Pat Brown and Wayne Parnell, the pair of bowlers trusted with the final two overs.

But it was down just as much to Notts’ own failings. Failings which have been far too evident far too often in 2019. Failings which will be talked about throughout this winter and beyond.

“How did they lose that final?” 

“How did that squad get relegated.”

How? How? How?

Because this result, and the nature of this result in particular, summed up a dismal, dreadful, utterly forgettable season. In either of their competitive guises - as Nottinghamshire in the County Championship or the Outlaws in white-ball cricket - 2019 truly has been an annus horriblis for the people of Trent Bridge.

Having assembled such a dazzling array of strokeplayers, occupiers, blitzers, bashers and natural talent, questions must be asked. Changes, surely, will be afoot.

No one could have predicted what has happened to Nottinghamshire in the six months since pre-season, just as no one could have predicted what happened here at Edgbaston - another daft tale in this summer’s anthology of the absurd.

Earlier, Moeen had looked to be in the mood for something truly special when he launched his first two balls over long-on for six and at 40 for 1 in four overs, the opportunity was there for the Rapids to produce a first-innings total of real substance.

However, the England allrounder was bowled for 21, trying to sweep Matt Carter towards the Hollies Stand, and the dismissal sparked a collapse.

A further five wickets fell for 57 in 11 overs as Notts reined their opponents in and the Rapids had little answer to pace off the ball through the middle overs.

A late injection of momentum came courtesy of Ross Whiteley, who was able to time his shots off the medium-pacers with much more success and made 36 from 24 balls, but a target of 148 felt like it really ought to be too small against this incredibly powerful Outlaws batting line-up.

Initially, that's exactly what appeared to be case.

Hales and Chris Nash picked up from where they left off in the last eight, opening up with 51 in 5.3 overs before Nash swept timidly to square leg.

Notts, however, were not destabilised by the wicket and Hales came together with Ben Duckett to keep the chase continuing apace.

Moeen and Pat Brown remained economical - the captain being taken for just 13 in his four overs, as well as picking up the wicket of Hales, caught behind by Ben Cox; Brown, meanwhile, negotiated his way through his allocation having conceded only 21.

^{Alex Hales hit an excellent half-century}

Otherwise, though, the Rapids were a lot looser. Wayne Parnell saw his first over go for 18, and Charlie Morris and Ed Barnard went for 51 between them in five.

When Hales was dismissed, Duckett and Dan Christian took their time bedding together but 15 runs from the 18th over - bowled by Parnell - made it seem as though there would be no extraordinary turnaround.

Then it all went wrong.

Christian was caught at mid-off by a reaching Moeen, Tom Moores lifted a needless catch to long-on, Steven Mullaney was run out without facing a ball - and exchanged angry words with Duckett as he walked off - and somehow, Notts left themselves requiring one from the final delivery.

Cue mass confusion.

Notts' 12th man Luke Fletcher ran on and off the field, nominally holding drinks, presumably bringing news of the competition's rules to the middle.

Worcestershire huddled around umpire Alex Wharf, trying to make sense of the situation.

The stadium PA pumped out 'Under Pressure', Fletcher tried to return and was ushered off, Worcestershire sent their own message in a bottle. Pandemonium. 

When finally the dust settled, two men kept their cool - Parnell bowling in the blockhole with his every teammate in the ring, Ben Cox taking the most stressful routine take, up to the stumps against 80-plus mph seam. And one man could not keep his.

Duckett collapsed over his bat. How did it happen? How did it happen? How? How? How?