Outlaws Make It Two From Two in Dominant Fashion
Notts Outlaws continued their impressive start to the One-Day Cup with a hard-fought three-wicket victory over Warwickshire at Sookholme, the home of Welbeck Cricket Club. Chasing 283, the Outlaws got home in 48.3 overs, with South African wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne providing the cool-headed anchor innings that the chase ultimately required. For those watching the Group A outright markets, this second win in three days will have shortened Notts' odds considerably, and it's not difficult to see why — they are playing with real purpose.
Garton's Stunning Century Gives Warwickshire Hope
For much of the afternoon, it looked as though Warwickshire would struggle to post a competitive total. They were in genuine difficulty at 121-6, having lost three wickets for 58 runs in the powerplay alone. Brett Hutton removed both Vaansh Jani and captain Rob Yates in that early burst, while Lyndon James accounted for Zen Malik at gully. The middle order continued to crumble — Kai Smith chopped onto his stumps, Alex Davies fell to left-arm spinner Joe Pocklington, and Jake Lintott top-edged a reverse sweep to depart cheaply.
What transformed the innings entirely was a remarkable seventh-wicket partnership between George Garton and Ethan Bamber. Garton, a 29-year-old all-rounder who has barely featured this season due to a stress-related back injury, produced a breathtaking 101-ball knock of 117 — his first century in any format of cricket, surpassing a previous List A best of just 38. He launched into rookie seamer Byron Hatton-Lowe for three fours in a single over, muscled James for two sixes, and eventually reached his hundred with his tenth boundary. Bamber contributed a composed 50 from 53 balls, hitting seven fours before holing out to wide long-off. Their stand of 121 set a seventh-wicket List A record for Warwickshire against Notts, and hauled the visitors to a very respectable 282 all out in 49.5 overs. Pocklington and James each claimed three wickets for the Outlaws.
McCann and Slater Lay the Platform
Notts' reply began in confident fashion, with openers Ben Slater and Freddie McCann putting on 103 for the first wicket — a solid foundation that immediately eased the pressure of a 283-run target. McCann's 62 was particularly eye-catching, and both men brought up half-centuries before the stand was broken. Slater required on-field treatment on two occasions for a muscle complaint, but soldiered on gamely before eventually being undone by sharp turn and bounce off the bowling of Yates, who had him caught at point.
From there, Notts experienced something of a wobble in the middle overs, with Lintott claiming three wickets for 55 runs to inject some anxiety into the home dressing room. At that point, the match was genuinely in the balance, and those who had backed Warwickshire at longer odds might have sensed a shift.
Verreynne Closes It Out With Authority
It was Verreynne who steadied the ship and ultimately sealed the result. His unbeaten 68 was exactly the kind of innings a side needs when pressure builds in a chase — measured, intelligent, and ultimately decisive. He rotated the strike effectively, picked off the boundaries when they were there, and never looked likely to gift his wicket away. With this victory, Notts Outlaws sit in fine fettle in Group A, and if Verreynne continues to bat at this level, they will take some stopping as the competition progresses.
