Samit Patel anchors Nottinghamshire chase after Calvin Harrison pegs Leicestershire back

A half-century from Samit Patel saw North Group leaders Nottinghamshire Outlaws home by six wickets with 13 balls to spare as the Foxes slumped to an eighth defeat of the Vitality Blast season.

Patel hit six fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 63 and shared a 99-run fourth-wicket stand with Ben Slater, who made 48 from 31 balls in his first Twenty20 match for three years, as the Outlaws chased down a target of 155, the Foxes dropping three catches on a poor night in the field.

Legspinner Calvin Harrison took 3 for 20 and Luke Fletcher 3 for 31 as Leicestershire were bowled out for 154 in precisely 20 overs, Harry Swindells top-scoring with 36, Arron Lilley and Ben Mike each hitting 27.

The Outlaws were forced to make three changes with Tom Moores unwell and both Joe Clarke and Sol Budinger obliged to wait for Covid tests after being alerted by the NHS app.

An eventful Powerplay saw the Foxes post 47 for 2. They lost Scott Steel for a duck in the first over as Ben Duckett - keeping wicket for the absent Moores - showed neat glovework. Lilley survived on one as Fletcher and Lyndon James collided under a top-edged reverse-sweep and made them pay with 27 off 20 balls before he was yorked.

They lost momentum after wickets fell in consecutive balls to Harrison, Josh Inglis finding long-off before Colin Ackermann chipped back to the bowler.

Lewis Hill lofted sixes off Steven Mullaney and offspinner Matt Carter but was caught at midwicket off Fletcher, Rishi Patel was lbw sweeping as Harrison picked up his third wicket and Swindells misjudged a slower ball to be caught at mid-off. Naveen was run out and Fletcher was rewarded with wickets in his last two overs and though Mike clubbed two sixes off Ball, the Foxes' total looked below par.

Duckett, who hit Callum Parkinson to deep backward square, and Alex Hales, caught at point off Naveen-ul-Haq's first ball, having just survived a run-out chance that saw Lilley ticked off for dissent. Peter Trego perished to a beauty from Naveen but 58 for 3 saw them ahead in the Powerplay.

Patel was dropped at backward point on 10 off Naveen and at short midwicket on 26 off Steel, albeit both difficult chances, but he and Slater brought the target down to 71 at halfway. Slater had an escape when he was spilled at extra cover off Mike on 37.

Slater missed out on a half-century, trapped in front by Parkinson, before Patel drove Naveen through the covers to finish the job.