David Hussey stars for leaders Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire 159 for 6 beat Durham 155 for 9 by four wickets
Scorecard

Nottinghamshire captain David Hussey led from the front with a perfectly judged unbeaten innings of 47 off 35 balls as the Friends Provident t20 North Group leaders beat Durham by four wickets with three balls remaining.

Needing 56 off the last five overs and with 18 balls left, Hussey combined with tail-ender Graeme White (26 not out) to fashion an unlikely victory and continue the Outlaws' march towards the quarter-finals.

Opposing skipper Phil Mustard top-scored with 35 as Durham totalled 155 for 9 on a pitch offering turn for the spinners, with Samit Patel taking 2 for 15 from his four overs. Matt Wood hit a brisk 36 before becoming one of two victims for offspinner Gareth Breese as Nottinghamshire slipped to 75 for 5.

But White then hit Liam Plunkett for a six and a four in the 18th over, Hussey launched Steve Harmison for a straight six in the 19th and finished the match with a boundary off Albie Morkel.

Durham's powerful opening partnership had got the visitors off to a flying start, with Mustard smashing six fours as the Dynamos raced to 50 off their first five overs before hitting a rising delivery from Darren Pattinson to cover. Ian Blackwell was bowled by Dirk Nannes and the arrival of left-arm spinner Patel put the brakes on the Durham innings, with four wickets falling in consecutive overs, two to Patel and two to medium-pacer Steven Mullaney.

Seventeen runs came off the 19th over bowled by Ryan Sidebottom, and while Morkel was caught at cover in the final over from Nannes, a Ben Harmison six boosted the Durham total past 150.

Nottinghamshire openers Alex Hales and Ali Brown were both back in the pavilion inside the first three overs but Wood got the Outlaws' innings going with a brace of sixes and four fours as he added 54 in six overs for the third wicket with Patel.

Breese removed both batsmen and when Morkel saw Chris Read pull to midwicket in the 15th over, Durham looked safe. The return of Plunkett proved a costly error as the former England seamer went for 16, including two wides, before Hussey stepped up to complete the comeback.