Both sides tactically retired out a batter in a tense, one-run victory for Birmingham against Nottinghamshire in a rain-affected T20 Blast clash at Edgbaston.

Rain had reduced the game to an eight overs-per-side affair with Birmingham batting first after Nottinghamshire won the toss. Birmingham were 80-3 after seven overs with the in-form Chris Benjamin and skipper Carlos Brathwaite at the crease. After it became clear that leg-spinner Calvin Harrison was returning to the attack, Brathwaite – who, according to ESPNcricinfo journalist Matt Roller, has a poor recent record against leg-spinners – retired himself out, one delivery after hitting Jake Ball for six.

This brought Sam Hain to the crease who ended up not facing a ball as Benjamin and then Alex Davies – who came in behind Hain after Benjamin’s final over dismissal – piled on 18 from the final six balls of the innings.

At one stage, Nottinghamshire were cruising the run chase. After three overs, they were 55-1 in pursuit of 99 with Ben Duckett and Alex Hales at the crease. Left-arm wrist-spinner Jake Lintott then changed the complexion of the contest, dismissing both set batters conceding just two runs from Nottinghamshire’s fourth over.

Eventually, Nottinghamshire required 14 from the final over which was to be delivered by seamer Craig Miles. The Outlaws scored nine off the first five balls of the over leaving Samit Patel needing six of the last ball of the match to secure victory.

Miles then delivered a beamer that Patel could only swat into the leg-side for a single – Notts now needed three with one legal ball remaining. With Patel now at the non-striker’s end and Tom Moores on strike, Nottinghamshire made the decision to retire Patel in favour of Harrison, a faster runner. Like with the retirement of Brathwaite in the game’s first innings, it was a move completely within the laws of the game. The move didn’t pay off, however, as Moores could only score a single off Miles’ final delivery, a well-directed yorker on off stump.

Tactical retirements made headlines in the most recent addition of the IPL when Ravichandran Ashwin retired himself towards the end of a Rajasthan Royals innings to give Riyan Parag – a supposedly superior hitter – a chance out in the middle. The move split opinion, with former England batter Mark Butcher coming out against the tactical development.