Tom Kohler-Cadmore admitted his disappointment at being unable to see Trent Rockets over the line, after the hosts were defeated by 10 runs at Trent Bridge.

Kohler-Cadmore hit 64 from 42 balls to keep Trent Rockets in the hunt after a Phil Salt-inspired Originals amassed 181/6 from their 100 balls.

But he was quick to praise the quality of the surface produced by Steve Birks and his groundstaff.

“I think it was a great pitch. You don’t score that many runs on a pitch and it not be a belter,” he said.

“It was a great game of cricket, but unfortunately we came out on the wrong side of it.

“As the mainstay of the innings I wanted to take responsibility to win us the game at the end, so I’m disappointed on that front.

“Looking back now, you think ‘where could I have found those extra boundaries’ or put the pressure back on the bowlers, because it’s such a hard task for two guys who haven’t faced a ball to go out and hit their first balls for six.

“I think the responsibility for the chase lies with me, so I’m disappointed not to have got over the line.”

The Originals were sitting pretty when Salt departed, having made 86 from his 32 deliveries.

But having threatened to far surpass 200, the visitors ultimately fell 19 short of that milestone as wickets from Daniel Sams, Lewis Gregory and Luke Wood stemmed the tide.

“We definitely gave ourselves a chance of winning,” he said.

“After the start they had, the first 25 balls, you’re worried they’re going to get 200, 220.

“We reassessed really well, we made sure we stayed calm and I think the bowlers did a good job to restrict them to a score that I felt was chaseable.”

The result sees Trent Rockets drop out of the qualification spots for the knockout stages, but Kohler-Cadmore remains optimistic that the reigning champions can remain in the hunt to retain their title.

“I think nine points will get a team in this year, so if we win our next two I think we’ll be there or thereabouts,” he said.

“We need to focus on Saturday, hopefully get a win and then re-focus again.

“It’s all about staying calm, staying present, and trying to find form at the right time. If we can get that momentum and sneak in we’ll be in a great place.”

Top-scorer Salt echoed Kohler-Cadmore’s sentiments about a pitch which yielded 569 runs across the course of the day.

“It’s good to come here and play on what is a very, very good white-ball wicket” he said.

“A lot of the competition, we’ve seen indifferent wickets, but every time you come to Trent Bridge you know what you’re in for with the pitch.

“To come here and beat a side that play such a good brand of cricket is a great sign in terms of where we’re at.”

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