Having lifted themselves into the top four after a string of victories over the first half of the NatWest T20 Blast group stages, the Notts Outlaws sealed top spot in the North Group in emphatic fashion.
Victories on the road against the Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Birmingham Bears, coupled with thumping home wins over the Leicestershire Foxes and Yorkshire Vikings, meant the Outlaws finished with 20 points and set up a last eight clash with the Essex Eagles.
Unbeaten over the second half of the group stages, we look back over the Outlaws’ dominance over their North Group rivals throughout July, before heading on to dispatch the Eagles in the quarter-finals.
Northants Steelbacks (A)
Bolstered by the arrival of Imran Tahir for the rest of the season, the Outlaws made light work of upcoming semi-final opponents the Steelbacks.
Tahir, who enjoyed a short stint with Notts in 2015, marked his return in style with 3-13 from four overs, with Steven Mullaney adding 3-12 as the Steelbacks lumped to 122 all out.
A typically aggressive knock from Captain Dan Christian, who reach fifty off just 28 balls, eased his side to victory, their 15th consecutive triumph over Northants in all formats.
Outlaws cruise to emphatic Steelbacks victory...
Worcestershire Rapids (H)
On a high from their travels to Wantage Road, the Outlaws returned to Trent Bridge to produce another dominant performance, with Riki Wessels leading from the front.
The bowlers restricted the visitors to just 124-8 from their 20 overs, Mullaney once again leading the way with 2-26.
Wessels then took centre stage, taking Joe Leach for 4,6,4,6 in the second over on his way to a 17-ball fifty and an unbeaten 80 as the Outlaws cantered home inside 13 overs.
Record-breaking Riki sends Rapids packing...
Leicestershire Foxes (A)
A chance to get one over local rivals the Leicestershire Foxes would have to wait until the last match of the group stages as rain ruined any chance of play at Grace Road.
Yorkshire Vikings (H)
Fellow Finals Day qualifiers the Yorkshire Vikings were involved in another Trent Bridge thriller as the experience of Samit Patel and Chris Read shone through to edge the hosts over the line.
Travis Head, on debut for the Vikings, smashed 40 to help the visitors post 160-7, before the Outlaws were indebted to the contributions of the lower order.
Patel pushed the hosts to the edge of victory, with 58 from 47 balls before Read smashed the winning runs to end 35* and virtually seal the Outlaws’ progress to the knockout stages.
Read & Patel seal last-gasp victory over Vikings...
Birmingham Bears (A)
An unbeaten fifty from Greg Smith and some predictable big-hitting antics from Christian, guided the Outlaws to a home quarter-final as they ran out six-wicket victors over the Birmingham Bears.
Out to avenge the first game defeat of the group stages, the Outlaws were set 173 for victory after the hosts posted 172-2, former England man Ian Bell making 80 from 35 balls.
Wessels and Michael Lumb added another 50 partnership at the top of the innings before Smith was at his stroke-playing best to bring up his half century from just 30 balls and brush aside the Bears.
Smith guides Outlaws to home quarter-final...
Leicestershire Foxes (H)
Rain once again wreaked havoc in a clash between local rivals at Trent Bridge but Lumb and Christian scored blistering fifties to secure a county record eighth straight victory.
Mark Cosgrove (53) and Farhaan Behardien (48) were the pick of the Foxes batsmen, as the Foxes managed 170-4 off 18 overs.
Lumb (69* from 29) and Christian (54* from 16) were at their destructive best, the Outlaws skipper taking Rob Sayer for three consecutive sixes as the Outlaws secured top spot in the North Group.
Lumb and Christian brush aside Foxes...
Essex Eagles (H)
Ever the man for the big occasion, Samit Patel spun the Outlaws to quarter-final victory over the Essex Eagles with a career-best performance in front of over 13,000 fans at Trent Bridge.
After Greg Smith’s fifty had helped the Outlaws post 162-7, Jesse Ryder and Nick Browne put on 65 in the first seven overs.
However, the wheels came off the Eagles’ chase in dramatic fashion, losing all ten wickets for just 58 runs, with Imran Tahir, Patel and Mullaney doing the majority of the damage.
Patel career-best takes Outlaws to Finals Day...
Notts Outlaws will face Northants Steelbacks in the first NatWest T20 Blast semi-final from 11am at Saturday's Finals Day at Edgbaston.
Visit Trent Bridge Live on Saturday for live commentary, updates, ball-by-ball scorecard and statistics.