Pietersen ton sees Nottinghamshire to victory

By Ananova
August 18 2002

A whirlwind century from Kevin Pietersen was enough to give Nottinghamshire Outlaws a 69-run win over Somerset Sabres in Norwich Union League Division One.

The 22-year-old South African, fresh from his brilliant unbeaten 254 in the County Championship thrashing of Middlesex, rocketed to 122 from 100 balls to lift the Outlaws to 239 for nine off 45 overs. He clubbed five sixes (three in one devastating over worth 20 runs off Ian Blackwell) and nine fours and shared in a 98-run fifth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Chris Read.

Young Nottinghamshire prospect Bilal Shafayat then took four for 35 with his right-arm medium pace and left-armer David Lucas three for 13 in an inspired opening stint to skittle the Sabres for 170 with more than six overs to spare.

Chasing a modest 240 for their third Norwich Union League win of the season, the Sabres made a disastrous start as they lost Michael Burns (four) fourth ball after he nicked one behind to Read off Richard Logan. Then medium paceman Lucas had the visitors wobbling on 11 for four midway through the fourth over as he grabbed three wickets in six balls without conceding a run.

Opener Jamie Cox was caught at second slip by Stuart MacGill, Blackwell was clean bowled and Keith Parsons adjudged lbw - all departing for ducks - before Matthew Wood joined opener Peter Bowler to stem the flow. Bowler survived until the last ball of the 22nd over when he played and missed at one from off-spinner Stephen Randall and was stumped by Read for 44.

Wood laboured to 37 off 83 deliveries before he was snapped up by Jason Gallian at mid-wicket off Shafayat, Randall claimed his second scalp by clean bowling Keith Dutch for two and next over Shafayat struck again to dismiss Simon Francis (eight) in similar fashion.

The game was up for the Sabres when Steffan Jones (10) was caught at long-on by Stuart MacGill off Shafayat and the 18-year-old bowled Andy Caddick (four) to leave Somerset woefully short of their target.

Earlier, the Outlaws made a ponderous start and had just 16 on the board when Shafayat nicked one to Bowler at first slip off Caddick. Usman Afzaal came and went for 12 - caught at cover by Cox off Caddick - to leave Notts on 43 for two in the 13th, but the arrival in the middle of in-form Pietersen was to give the Outlaws a much-needed lift. He became the first Notts player to score a one-day ton this season, the problem being that other than Read nobody else found the groove.

Gallian had departed for 39, caught at mid-on by Parsons off Dutch, Paul Johnson (one) was run out by Michael Burns and Read, having made 38 from 45 balls, was also run out by Burns, the Sabres fielder beating the batsman's despairing lunge with a brilliant direct hit to the bowler's end. That left the Outlaws on 204 for five in the 40th over and 12 balls later Paul Franks (three) fell to Francis, snapped up by Wood at long-off. Lucas (duck) and last-man out MacGill (four) were both clean bowled by paceman Jones and in between Pietersen went the same way.

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