Notts Outlaws all-rounder Samit Patel is determined to make a telling contribution when Essex Eagles visit Trent Bridge for Thursday's Friends Life t20 quarter-final (play starts 7.10pm).

With a place at Finals Day up for grabs, Patel said the Outlaws are approaching the fixture in a positive fram of mind.

“It’s important to approach the quarter-finals in good form, playing good cricket, and with momentum, and I think that we have that,” said Patel.

“All of our eyes were on qualification, and it feels good to be here.”

Patel is no stranger to knockout fixtures with the Outlaws, making his T20 debut for Notts in 2003, the first year of the tournament. In that time, he has racked up more than 2,000 runs for the county, and taken 98 wickets.

“Last year’s quarter-final was great for me, scoring 60 off 30 deliveries, and taking three wickets,” said Patel.

“This year is another game, against a different side, and the best team on the day will go through.

"I think we’ll need to be at our best in a bowling sense, which I’m not sure we have been, and the batsmen will need to perform on the day too to make sure.”

Given the nature of twenty 20 cricket, where a single ball can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat, every delivery and every shot needs to be timed and directed perfectly. For Patel, there are certain key areas that can win or lose games.

“The key to winning any twenty20 match is how you start an innings and how you finish,” said Patel.

“It needs the batsmen to score runs during the powerplay, and the bowlers to offer as little to the opposition as possible.

“In a game where a couple of overs can make the difference, starting and finishing strongly with both bat and ball is going to be huge.”

Tickets for the Outlaws' Friends Life t20 quarter-final are now on general sale from our online box office.

Supporters can also visit the Trent Bridge ticket office or call the ticket hotline (0844 8118711) during office hours.

Friends Life t20 Quarter-Final Ticket information
Notts Outlaws v Essex Eagles, Thursday 8 August, 7.10pm CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

Ticket prices:
Buy before 4.30pm on Wednesday 7 August: 
Members - Adults £15 / Under 16s £8 / Over 65s £8
Non-members - Adults £17 / Under 16s £9 / Over 65s £9 / families (2+2) £43
On the day:
Adults £20 / Over 65s £20 / Under 16s £10 / Families (2+2) £50