Patel leads Notts sunny cruise

Nottinghamshire maintained their push for the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals with a straightforward 88-run victory over Scotland at Trent Bridge.

Samit Patel led the way for the hosts with 82, while fellow England hopeful James Taylor contributed 68 and Adam Voges an unbeaten 64 as Nottinghamshire made 265 for 5 after winning the toss and batting first. Patel then picked up 2 for 39 with his left-arm spin as Scotland were bowled out for 177, with fellow spinners Voges, 3 for 37, and Graeme White, three for 42 also among the wickets. Ryan Flannigan top-scored for the visitors with 38.

The win moves Nottinghamshire second in Group B, one point behind leaders Hampshire, who have played a game more.

Having won the toss on a gloriously sunny afternoon, Nottinghamshire skipper Chris Read chose to bat first on a wicket that had seen little action from their rain-affected County Championship match with Surrey on the previous four days. The decision looked like a mistake when Gordon Goudie had Michael Lumb lbw with the first ball of the match, but despite a low and slow pitch, the home side steadily increased the tempo to finish on a score that proved well beyond the visitors.

Taylor and Alex Hales put on 82 in 12 overs for the second wicket, with Hales contributing 37 from 35 balls before he was stumped off the left-arm spin of Jean Symes.

Patel took his time to get going - with Nottinghamshire having a 10-over spell in the middle of their innings without a boundary - before he drove Majid Haq through the covers to release the shackles. His partner Taylor was generally content to pick up singles in his 82-ball innings, ending when he top-edged an attempted reverse-sweep off Haq to backward point.

That brought Voges to the wicket, with the Australian taking advantage of the batting powerplay to race to 50 off just 35 balls in the penultimate over after Patel was yorked by Goudie, who also had Riki Wessels caught at deep square leg.

Scotland were never in the hunt but also did not help themselves with two run-outs, although Josh Davey was unlucky to see Harry Gurney deflect Calum MacLeod's drive onto the stumps at the bowler's end.

Nottinghamshire overcame the setback of seeing seamer Darren Pattinson limp off the field after only two deliveries with a suspected groin strain, and the left-arm spin trio of Patel, Voges and White strangled the life out of the Scottish innings.