Hussey sets up Nottinghamshire victory

Nottinghamshire 184 for 6 beat Derbyshire 146 for 8 by 38 runs
Scorecard

Nottinghamshire Outlaws got their Friends Life t20 campaign off to a winning start with a 38-run victory over Derbyshire Falcons thanks to a brisk 60 from skipper David Hussey and four wickets from fast bowler Andy Carter.

Having been invited to bat first on a gloriously sunny evening at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire posted 184 for 6 from their 20 overs, with Riki Wessels hitting 30 off 19 balls to add to Hussey's 45-ball knock, which included five fours and a six.

Derbyshire started their reply solidly with a 49-run opening partnership between Wes Durston and New Zealand international Martin Guptill before the Kiwi was spectacularly bowled by Carter for 25.

From there the visitors fell further and further behind the required run-rate and despite 46 from Durston and Garry Park's unbeaten 36, the Falcons could only finish on 146 for eight. Carter, playing in only his third Twenty20 match, finished with 4 for 20 from his four overs, the third best bowling return for Nottinghamshire in the competition's history.

The hosts began their innings in quiet fashion until Alex Hales hit two boundaries off Chesney Hughes in the third over, while Wessels greeted the arrival of Tim Groenewald by slog-sweeping the seamer for six over square leg.

Groenewald then had Hales caught at mid-wicket and the left-arm spin of Tom Knight accounted for Adam Voges, caught by a diving Wayne Madsen in the covers. Wessels was yorked by Jonathan Clare to bring Hussey to the wicket. The Australian added 49 in five overs with Samit Patel (26), finally being bowled in the final over by Steffan Jones, who also had Steven Mullaney lbw. Chris Read finished 21 not out.

Carter was hit for two fours in his opening over by Guptill but returned to bowl the Kiwi in the sixth over - the first of four clean bowled wickets by the paceman. Derbyshire's hopes rested on Durston repeating his heroics from last year's fixture, when the 30-year-old smashed 111, but when he was stumped by Read off Hussey's off-spin, the game was up, despite two sixes and two fours from Park.