DOUBLE HEADER: Three Positives and Three Negatives From Notts Outlaws second set of T20 Blast games

The loss to the Falcons was particularly galling as they continued their big hitting form and it was Notts on the end of it. It was good to see them get over 200 but they still never looked like chasing it down but getting some runs from the likes of Tom Moores and Jack Haynes was needed.

Their first win came on Sunday as they put in an all-round performance at home to Durham with the star of the show George Munsey going big again. We take a look at three positives and negatives from the second set of T20 Blast games.

Positive #1 – The Monkey is Off Our Back

The longer a win eludes you, the deeper the desperation sinks in so to finally get over the line on Sunday afternoon at Trent Bridge was a huge relief and in the end it was probably one of the more comfortable wins that you could get.

Setting the tone of a match is key and so Dillon Pennington taking the wicket of Graham Clark with the first ball of the match and then closely followed by Alex Lees a few overs later, allowed the Outlaws to get into a middle order that hasn't always fired and Clark and Lees have both started the Blast really well!

Positive #2 – Munsey signing Looks Good Value for Money

We said before the campaign started that the signing of George Munsey might be a masterstroke and so far it's very much looking that way with the Scottish big-hitting left-hander going big with 88 off 52 balls to back up starts in the pervious three games.

Sometimes you can pump the big money on elite overseas names but actually bringing in a few smart signings, whether they are consistent domestic names or cheaper overseas alternatives can be just as productive, sometimes more so.

Munsey is proving to be just that so far. We all know that he can be destructive and i'm surprised he's not been snapped up as a regular over the last few seasons somewhere in English domestic cricket but that is the Outlaws gain this year and now they have a win under their belts, he could prove to be a catalyst for a real big push over the next few games.

Positive #3 – Runs are Starting to Flow Throughout

Despite the loss on Friday night in the East Midlands Derby, the runs came as they passed over 200 and yes they never seriously looked like they could chase them down but getting some legs into the game of a few players can only bode well for the next set of games.

It was good to see Moores go big with 75 off 34 balls and there were also contributions from Jack Haynes with 45 and George Linde with 29. Likewise 32 from Freddie McCann on Sunday was helpful, even though it wasn't particularly pacy but maybe an anchor was what was needed and it helped Munsey to go big with rotation of the strike.

Negative #1 – The Inconsistency is Concerning

It forever seems that the Outlaws are chasing their tails and they can't quite get themselves onto a more consistent game plan that can only bring more wins. That consistency is ebbing in both their batting and bowling performances and to be four games in and only now putting a complete game in, is concerning.

The Batting has been highlighted as on the trend upwards but there often relying on one or two to go big and there are still some concerning signs from Joe Clarke that he is struggling to get going. How ironic that he is head and shoulders above everyone in red ball cricket this season but in his perhaps strongest suit, he hasn't looked in any kind of form.

Bowling wise on Sunday, not one of the bowlers were over 9 in economy rate, yet a couple of days before, only Mohammad Ali was under 9 with a full quota of overs and Freddie McCann's singular over going for just 6. Everyone else was pumped around the ground, including Oli Stone's incredible 44 runs conceded of just two overs!

Negative #2 – Why Play Pocklington if Not Using Him

I covered a lot of Notts Outlaws 50-over games last season where they bedded in Joe Pocklington and he looked a really good talent that could be a useful cricketer over the next few seasons. There is nothing to say that won't happen but if you're going to play him, then use him.

The feeling here is that he is very similar to George Linde and granted, the South African has the experience and your 100% going to be playing him. But if your not using him, could you be looking to bring in someone different, perhaps an extra batter for a side that looks very all-rounder heavy.

For me, lets see what Pocklington can do and give him some bowling time, I'm pretty confident he would do well but equally, if your just filling a place, then make use of another talent that might have more of an impact. Why not give Ben Slater or Haseeb Hameed a run out or even Brett Hutton with bowling still a slight cause for concern.

Negative #3 – Too Much To do?

Have the Outlaws left themselves too much to do to get a sniff of the knock-out stages in this year's t20 Vitality Blast? They have a lot of work to do if they still want to get through and the betting money will be well against them even now.

The positive about this negative is that it is still in their own hands but it will likely require them to win both remaining games in this set to keep in touch. They take on a disjointed Warwickshire on Friday and then they host the big-hitting Falcons again.

With Yorkshire going well, a couple more wins for them will put them in pole-position. None of the others are getting away from them as yet and they are all still in it but they don't have many chances left and they will need to grab them with both hands and take two from two at the weekend.

Final Thoughts

It's all in Notts hands still and a couple of wins at the weekend and things will look a lot more rosy in the Trent Bridge garden.

But they have a lot of things still to work on. They have a mis-firing batting line-up that is showing signs of life and a bowling unit that is up and down and the consistency is killing them. Getting the right balance of the side is key too and I don't think they've found it yet.

Also they will need their big star players to get into form and stay there so that's on the likes of Clarke and Moores to find their consistent form, Munsey to keep going and Mohammad Ali and George Linde to use all their experience this weekend.