Hussey calls the shots

David Hussey flays the Northants bowling in a brutal innings of 71 © Getty Images

Twenty20 Cup hotshot David Hussey fired Nottinghamshire into the finals day at their home ground as the Outlaws crushed Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge.

The Australian batsman smashed 71 off 32 balls with five fours and five sixes in a third-wicket stand of 121 off just 56 deliveries with Samit Patel.

Junior partner Patel was far from a second fiddle, as he clubbed 65 off 38 balls including five fours and four maximums.

Their big-hitting contributions pushed Notts to their competition-record 213 for six and, once Ryan Sidebottom had removed both Northants openers in an excellent spell of 2-16, the Steelbacks were never in the hunt.

Lance Klusener thumped an unbeaten 72 in reply but the visitors could muster only 150 for six, losing by 63 runs.

Despite seeing opener Graeme Swann depart early on, Notts began their innings quickly thanks to skipper Stephen Fleming’s punchy 39.

The New Zealand skipper smashed former India captain Sourav Ganguly for two consecutive straight sixes, followed by another maximum over square-leg, before holing out to wide mid-wicket.

That brought Hussey and Patel together and the pair proceeded to take apart the Northants bowling, spinners Jason Brown and Andrew White receiving particular punishment as they conceded 65 off five overs between them.

Ben Phillips has his off stump removed by Mark Ealham as Notts dominate © Getty Images

Hussey eventually fell to a yorker from Klusener, whle three wickets went down in the final over from Ben Phillips.

Patel was run out coming back for a second and, although Chris Read crashed a six over long-on, he was then caught on the mid-wicket boundary trying to repeat the shot.

Mark Ealham was last to go, caught by Matthew Nicholson off a huge skier from the final ball of the innings.

Left-arm seamer Sidebottom struck in the third over of the reply - Ganguly caught by Swann on the cover boundary - and followed up in his next over with Rob White’s wicket, taken at cover.

Northants skipper David Sales edged to
wicket-keeper Read off Charlie Shreck, who then held ex-Notts batsman Bilal Shafayat on the boundary for 25.

That left the tail with too much to do, with Phillips bowled by Ealham and Usman Afzaal finishing on eight not out.

There was also a moment of controversy when Riki Wessels was run out in bizarre circumstances and ended up leaving the field on a stretcher.

Wessels, amid confusion, had ended up at the same end as Shafayat but both batsmen appeared to think the ball was dead.

Wessels ended up having to sprint to the other end but his dive was unable to beat the throw.

Shafayat was seen remonstrating with one of the umpires over the incident.