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Outlaws cruise to victory

Nottinghamshire repeated last season's Twenty20 Cup win at Derbyshire with an impressive six-wicket victory at the County Ground with 10 balls to spare.

Last year's beaten finalists had a scare chasing the Phantoms' total of 148 when they lost two wickets in three balls but an unbeaten half-century from Samit Patel made sure they started this season's campaign in style.

The home side had been well placed at one stage but fell away against some clever bowling on a slow pitch to lose their last eight wickets for 59 runs.

Gareth Clough's medium pace brought him four for 24 from his four overs while Graeme Swann's spin earned two victims, including the prize one of Simon Katich.

The Outlaws were pegged back when Stephen Fleming and David Hussey fell to Kevin Dean to leave the visitors struggling on 51 for three but Patel and Will Jefferson tilted the game back in their favour.

Derbyshire had threatened to set a more demanding target after Michael Dighton, making his debut, took three fours from Mark Ealham's opening over before the all-rounder had the Tasmanian taken at second slip.

Katich and Travis Birt were starting to take control with a stand of 56 in six overs but Hussey held a fine running catch at long-off to remove Birt for 30 and then took another well-judged catch to dismiss Katich for 30 in the next over.

The Phantoms crumbled under pressure with three wickets falling in three balls, including a run-out, in Clough's final over and the innings ended when Graham Wagg pulled a full toss from Ealham to mid-on.

Nottinghamshire lost Swann for 14 in the fourth over when he hit across the line at Tom Lungley and the game was wide open when Dean struck twice in his second over.

First Fleming was caught behind trying to run the ball through the slips and then the dangerous Hussey was superbly stumped by Jamie Pipe standing up for a duck.

But Patel paced his innings shrewdly and made Derbyshire pay for Pipe's missed stumping chance when he had made 18 in the 11th over.

He lifted Ant Botha over long-on and with Jefferson, added 54 in seven overs before Jefferson skied Ian Hunter to third man.

Patel reached his 50 from 43 balls and the home side knew the game had gone before Chris Read pulled Dean for the winning boundary in the penultimate over.

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