Hussey and Read see off Scotland

Nottinghamshire 260 for 5 beat Scotland 185 by 75 runs
Scorecard

Powerful half-centuries from David Hussey and Chris Read set Nottinghamshire on their way to a comfortable 75-run victory over Scotland in their Clydesdale Bank 40 meeting today.

After coming together in the 24th over with the score at 116 for 4, the pair put on 89 for the fifth wicket with Hussey smashing 80 from 67 balls, including two sixes and six fours, before being caught on the midwicket boundary. Read also hit two maximums and six boundaries in his 69 not out from 50 balls as the hosts finished on 260 for 5, having added 115 in the last 10 overs.

Despite a bright start, Scotland never looked like overhauling their target and were bowled out for 185 in the 39th over, with former England all-rounder Paul Franks taking 3 for 22.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Nottinghamshire skipper Read would not have been impressed to see his top three batsmen all back in the pavilion inside the first 11 overs as they stumbled to 51 for 3. Young seamer Matthew Parker picked up the first two wickets, removing Alex Hales lbw in the second over of the match before Matt Wood drove straight to midwicket.

Gordon Drummond then removed Ali Brown lbw with his third ball before Hussey combined with Samit Patel to steady the ship with a partnership of 65 in 13 overs.

Patel eventually fell, clipping off-spinner Majid Haq to midwicket for 48, and Hussey and Read then stepped up the pressure with some big hits in the batting powerplay, Gordon Goudie coming in for particular punishment.

Scotland's opening pair of Fraser Watts and Preston Mommsen began confidently and were ahead of their opponents' score after nine overs before Mommsen top-edged an attempted pull off Franks to be caught by wicketkeeper Read.

That was the first of four wickets to fall in five overs, halting the momentum of the Saltires, with George Bailey, Richie Berrington and Watts all falling in quick succession. Former England international Gavin Hamilton was caught on the boundary trying to raise the tempo and the Scots were never able to get back on top of the required run-rate.

Moneeb Iqbal made 31 and Dougie Lockhart top-scored with 37 before handing 20-year-old Notts all-rounder Scott Elstone a wicket on his CB40 debut, holing out on the boundary, with the match wrapped up by a run-out.

Second-placed Notts will face Group C leaders Warwickshire on Thursday in a crunch floodlit match, with the winners in a strong position to claim top spot and qualify for the semi-finals.