Yates’ Four-Wicket Haul in Vain as Notts Scrape Home Off Final Ball

Nottinghamshire won by 3 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) against Warwickshire in match 39 of 112 in the T20 Blast 2026 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. It was a game that had no right to be as close as it was – Warwickshire, still winless and rooted to the bottom of the table, pushed mid-table Nottinghamshire all the way before finally falling short. Robert Yates produced a stunning all-round performance in defeat, but his 4/22 with the ball could not prevent his side slipping to a fifth consecutive loss.

First Innings – Warwickshire: 139/10 (19.3 overs)

Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to bowl, and Warwickshire got off to a brisk start through Zen Malik and Robert Yates. Zen Malik struck 29 off 18 balls at a strike rate of 161 before falling at 58 for 2 in the seventh over, caught off George Linde. Robert Yates had already departed for 23 off 19, caught at 54 for 1 in the sixth over off Mohammad Ali.

What followed was a sharp collapse. Dan Mousley managed just 1 off 5 before falling LBW to Freddie McCann at 60 for 3. Ed Barnard scratched around for 3 off 8 before Benny Howell had him caught at 75 for 4. Beau Webster offered some resistance with 23 off 26 but was bowled by Dillon Pennington at 98 for 5 in the 15th over.

Kai Smith was the standout in the lower order, grinding out 34 off 28 balls with two fours and two sixes. He anchored the innings from 98 for 5 through to the end, but wickets kept tumbling around him. Alex Davies fell LBW to Benny Howell for 4 at 105 for 6, Jordan Thompson was bowled by Dillon Pennington for 1 at 120 for 7, and Chris Woakes smashed a quick 10 off 4 before being bowled by Mohammad Ali at 131 for 8. Richard Gleeson went for 1 at 133 for 9, also bowled by Mohammad Ali, and Kai Smith was last out, caught off Olly Stone to end the innings at 139.

Mohammad Ali was the pick of the Nottinghamshire attack with 3/27 from his four overs at an economy of 6.75. George Linde was excellent value with 1/22 from four overs at 5.5, while Benny Howell chipped in with 2/15 from two overs. Dillon Pennington took 2/26 and Freddie McCann a tidy 1/3 from his single over.

Second Innings – Nottinghamshire: 143/7 (19.5 overs)

What should have been a comfortable chase of 140 turned into a thriller. Joe Clarke departed early, caught off Chris Woakes at 16 for 1 in the third over. But Jack Haynes took the attack to Warwickshire in explosive fashion, smashing 36 off just 17 balls at a strike rate of 212, including three fours and three sixes. His innings dragged Nottinghamshire to 72 for 2 before he was caught off Robert Yates at the end of the eighth over.

Then Robert Yates took over with the ball. He bowled Tom Moores for 1 at 80 for 3, and suddenly Nottinghamshire were wobbling. Benny Howell fell for 2, caught off Beau Webster at 83 for 4. Freddie McCann followed for 2, caught off Robert Yates again at 86 for 5. George Munsey, who had been grafting at the other end, was caught off Robert Yates for 27 off 30 balls at 87 for 6. Four wickets for 15 runs – Nottinghamshire were in deep trouble.

George Linde walked in at 87 for 6 and steadied the ship. He found an ally in Liam Patterson-White, and the pair put on 31 crucial runs. Liam Patterson-White struck 20 off 14 balls at 143 strike rate before being bowled by Usman Tariq at 118 for 7. That left George Linde and Olly Stone needing 25 off the final 26 balls. George Linde finished unbeaten on 29 off 25, and Olly Stone hung in for 5 off 10 as Nottinghamshire scraped over the line off the penultimate ball of the match.

Robert Yates finished with outstanding figures of 4/22 from four overs at an economy of 5.5 – a genuine match-winning effort that went unrewarded. Usman Tariq was economical with 1/16 from four overs at 4.0, and Richard Gleeson bowled his 3.5 overs for just 22 runs without a wicket. View the full scorecard on Statz.

Statz MVP – Robert Yates

Robert Yates earned a Statz Match Impact rating of 157.08 for an extraordinary all-round performance in a losing cause. He scored 23 with the bat and then returned figures of 4/22 with the ball from four overs at an economy of just 5.5. The Statz Match Impact formula, which calculates impact based on match context – when wickets fall, how they shift the balance, and the pressure of the situation – rated him the standout performer despite being on the losing side. No official Man of the Match was awarded, but on the numbers, Robert Yates was the best player on the park by a considerable margin.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Robert Yates (Warwickshire) – 157.08: All-round masterclass in defeat. 23 runs with the bat and 4/22 with the ball. Dominated the second innings with the ball, taking four wickets in a spell that nearly turned the match on its head.
2. George Linde (Nottinghamshire) – 78.96: Anchored the chase when it mattered most with an unbeaten 29 off 25 balls. Also took 1/22 with the ball in a miserly four-over spell in the first innings. The calm head that got Nottinghamshire home.
3. Jack Haynes (Nottinghamshire) – 69.84: Explosive 36 off just 17 balls at a strike rate of 212 turned the momentum in the chase. Three fours and three sixes in a devastating cameo before falling to Robert Yates.
4. Mohammad Ali (Nottinghamshire) – 58.36: Best bowling figures of the match with 3/27 from four overs. Broke the back of the Warwickshire innings with key wickets through the middle and tail.
5. Beau Webster (Warwickshire) – 54.35: Contributed 23 with the bat and took 1/18 with the ball from three overs. A solid all-round showing in a supporting role for Warwickshire.

Turning Point

The match swung on two moments. First, Robert Yates ripping through the Nottinghamshire middle order to reduce them from 72 for 2 to 87 for 6 – a collapse of four wickets for 15 runs that looked like it would hand Warwickshire their first win. But the true turning point was George Linde surviving the wreckage after Freddie McCann fell at 86 for 5 and building the match-winning partnership with Liam Patterson-White. Their 31-run stand broke the stranglehold Robert Yates had on the match and gave Nottinghamshire the platform to get over the line.

Match Context

Nottinghamshire sit 12th in the T20 Blast standings with 2 wins and 3 losses for 8 points, and needed this result to keep their playoff hopes alive in match 39 of 112. Warwickshire remain dead last in 18th place with 0 wins and 5 losses for 0 points – their winless run now extends to five matches. Despite Robert Yates‘ heroics, they simply could not find a way to defend 139 and the search for a first victory continues.