Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast, form, prediction and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the Vitality Blast...
Fixture: Durham v Notts Outlaws
Venue: Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Start time: 6.30pm
What’s the lowdown?
Two wins from two for Durham who have started their T20 Blast campaign in impressive form. Kicking their white-ball season off with a 20-run victory over a star-studded Yorkshire Vikings, they followed it up with a two-wicket victory over Leicestershire at the weekend, spearheaded by a swift 50 from wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley.
Nottinghamshire, by contrast, have had a mixed start to their title defence, playing out a thrilling tie with Worcestershire in their season opener before falling 19 runs short of victory against Birmingham Bears to leave them winless after two matches.
However, they bounced back against Northamptonshire on Sunday, Joe Clarke smashing a destructive 65-ball 136 to help his side post 214 for 7 before restricting the home side to 200 to secure a 14-run victory.
Who’s in form?
The bulk of Durham's runs have come from unlikely sources so far this season, with Brydon Carse and Eckersley both recording maiden T20 half-centuries. With the ball, Matty Potts is continuing the fine white-ball form which saw him take 13 wickets in ten appearances last season. The seamer already has five wickets in two matches, placing him joint-top of Durham's wicket-taking standings, alongside the equally impressive Ben Raine.
For Nottinghamshire, every pair of eyes in the stadium will be upon one man, and that's Joe Clarke. After scoring 136 against Northamptonshire, he is (unsurprisingly) the competition's leading run-scorer and with a strike rate of 203.22, he's likely to produce fireworks at the Riverside.
Meanwhile, with the ball, Matthew Carter impressed against Northamptonshire, recording figures of 1 for 15 and bowling with an economy of 3.75 - one of only two Notts bowlers alongside Steven Mullaney (8) to concede fewer than 10 runs an over. The 25-year-old is the club's second-highest wicket-taker in 2021, with five white-ball wickets to his name.
What’s the team news?
Durham: James Franklin has made just one change to the Durham squad set to face Notts Outlaws. Sean Dickson is away on paternity leave, which opens the door for Stuart Poynter to come in.
Durham squad: Cameron Bancroft (c), David Bedingham, Scott Borthwick, Jack Burnham, Brydon Carse, Jack Campbell, Graham Clark, Paul Coughlin, Ned Eckersley, Matthew Potts, Stuart Poynter, Ben Raine, Matt Salisbury, Liam Trevaskis
Notts Outlaws: The visitors have named an unchanged side after their strong showing against Northants Steelbacks.
Notts Outlaws squad: Steven Mullaney (c), Jake Ball, Sol Budinger, Matt Carter, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Luke Fletcher, Alex Hales, Calvin Harrison, Lyndon James, Tom Moores, Dane Paterson, Samit Patel, Peter Trego
Last five T20 results (most recent first)
Durham: WWLWW
Notts Outlaws: WLTWW
Head-to-head T20 record
Total matches: 27
Durham wins: 11
Notts Outlaws wins: 15
Tied: 0
Abandoned: 1
No result: 6
What’s the weather forecast?
Clear skies, sunshine and temperatures hovering between the high teens and low twenties are forecast for Chester-le-Street on Tuesday evening.
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Chester-le-Street: Click here
Going to the game?
Tickets
Durham's match against Notts Outlaws will be played in front of a reduced crowd in line with the government's latest Covid-19 guidelines.
Click here to access the Durham box office.
Travel
Address: Durham County Cricket Club, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, DH3 3QR
By car: The ground is situated a mile outside Chester-le-Street. There are two car parks at the ground.
The Emirates Riverside has a designated drop-off and pick-up point for all cars and taxis.
A road closure may be in place on B1284 Rotary Way immediately after play finishes. The club say it is advisable for vehicles to be at the pick-up point approximately 15 minutes before close of play. All vehicles must turn left when exiting from the pick-up point.
Details regarding road closures for major events will be made available on the Durham CCC website two to three weeks prior to the event taking place.
By public transport: Chester-le-Street rail station is served by Northern Rail, CrossCountry & First TransPennine trains. The station is a 20-minute walk from the ground. East Coast services stop at both Durham and Newcastle instead.
There is a shuttle bus service available from Durham Station to and from Emirates Riverside.
Several buses beginning their journeys in Newcastle stop near the Riverside.
How do I follow the match?
Durham will offer live coverage of the match via their website: Click here
All T20 Blast matches are also available via the ECB's central hub: Click here
The matches can also be viewed on mobile via the ECB app.
Radio: All Vitality Blast fixtures will be available on BBC Local Radio stations with extensive coverage also on 5 Live Sports Extra.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and updates from every Vitality Blast match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Prediction?
Before the competition started, this match would have been a routine Notts win and after restoring their mojo against Northants, they're likely to be too strong for Durham. However, given their shaky start to the season, it's clear the Outlaws are not invincable. Notts win, but much tighter than expected.
OTHER T20 BLAST FIXTURES: TUESDAY, JUNE 15
North Group
Yorkshire Vikings v Leicestershire Foxes
Derbyshire Falcons v Lancashire Lightning
Northamptonshire v Birmingham Bears
South Group
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