Pattinson on song

Paul Nixon fired but found little help from his charges

Matt Wood's calm fifty and career-best bowling performances from Darren Pattinson and Samit Patel propelled Nottinghamshire Outlaws to a narrow two-wicket Friends Provident Trophy win over Leicestershire Foxes.

Pattinson claimed 4-35 and Patel 3-34 as the Outlaws dismissed the visitors for just 197, their only innings of substance coming from captain Paul Nixon (75) and Boeta Dippenaar (51).

Wood hit nine fours in a 44-ball fifty in an opening stand of 84 with Will Jefferson, before a middle-order collapse took the game to the wire thanks to four quick wickets from James Allenby.

With the scores level, tail-ender Luke Fletcher then hit the winning runs off the last ball of the match to push Notts to the top of the Midlands Division, overtaking today’s opponents.

Leicestershire skipper Nixon chose to bat after winning the toss and must have been aiming for his side to post at least 250 on a good batting track.

Instead, they found themselves pinned down by accurate bowling from the Notts seam attack and never built any real momentum after losing three early wickets.

First, HD Ackerman was caught behind off a ball which bounced and left him from Charlie Shreck in the fifth over, and fellow opener Tom New followed for no addition with an edged drive off Pattinson.

Shreck struck again when he jagged one back at Allenby, who bottom-edged onto his stumps, beginning a spell of four maidens in six overs.

Former South Africa batsman Dippenaar put on 61 for the fourth wicket with Nixon before he was bowled by Patel’s first delivery.

Nixon had survived a difficult chance before he had scored when he was dropped by a diving Will Jefferson at second slip, but he recovered to hit three sixes in his run-a-ball innings.

His knock was finished by Patel after Nixon drove straight to midwicket, following Pattinson’s dismissal of Jacques du Toit in the previous over.

The Leicestershire tail folded in quick order, with Dillon du Preez holing out to mid-on, Claude Henderson giving Rob Ferley a return catch and Pattinson removing Nadeem Malik and Garnett Kruger in successive balls.

Wood and Jefferson then got Notts off to a flying start, reaching 77 at the end of the 15th over before Wood was caught behind off Nadeem Malik.

The persevering former Nottinghamshire seamer also accounted for Jefferson in his next over, but a partnership of 83 for the third wicket between Mark Wagh and Adam Voges seemed to have finished the job.

But Allenby’s spell of four for 27 off nine overs set up an exciting finish as Voges, Samit Patel and Chris Read all departed, with Wagh yorked by Kruger.

Mark Ealham was then caught by Nixon off a top-edge and Pattinson yorked by Malik but Robert Ferley and 19-year-old Fletcher kept their composure to close out the game.