A lower-order counter offensive was not enough to inspire a complete comeback, as Lancashire’s triumph at the John Fretwell Centre ended Notts Outlaws’ 2023 Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign.

With key batters snuffed out in the early overs, Liam Patterson-White coupled with Sammy King and Dane Schadendorf to lift Notts from 42/5 to 148/7 before the hosts eventually posted 185, but a professional batting performance from Keaton Jennings helped Lancashire clinch victory in the final group game of the one-day competition.

On the back of a dramatic win down in Kent, the Outlaws began their final group game knowing victory was the minimum required to progress to the knockout stages, as long as their previous opponents failed to do the same.

The visitors, losing the toss and subsequently being forced to bowl first, took off in a blistering start on a sunny yet breezy day at the John Fretwell Centre.

After tallying just seven runs in the first five overs, openers Slater and Martindale - in addition to third man Lyndon James - were all lost in the space of four as Lancashire’s Tom Bailey and Will Williams caused havoc.

Man of the hour in the Kent contest, Matthew Montgomery was unable to repeat his heroics with the bat on this occasion as he became Bailey’s second victim of the afternoon after nine deliveries, trapped lbw as Lancashire continued to turn the screw.

Outlaws captain Haseeb Hameed then totalled 18 runs from 37 balls to return a slightly healthier strike rate, but was caught by Matty Hurst behind the stumps to hand George Balderson his first wicket of the day.

Sammy King amassed the Outlaws’ first commendable stand and found the boundary on five occasions, including a fine low-struck six, to lift the hosts to 92/5 before being caught in the field by George Lavelle.

That sixth dismissal concluded a timely 50-run partnership with Liam Patterson-White, who too was on good form with the bat as the lower-mid order began their counter-attack. Dane Schadendorf took the place of King and continued his work, with runs coming more freely and frequently for Notts.

But despite the hosts’ resurgence, Patterson-White’s fightback with the bat ended somewhat prematurely, bowled by Tom Aspinwall for 39 as Lancashire reassumed control of the tie just as Notts had appeared to have weathered the worst of the storm. He was followed off the field by Schadendorf not long after, taking a mistimed swing at Jack Morley’s pinpoint delivery as the bails tumbled in the 39th over.

Brett Hutton, from 24 balls, found a useful 17 including a well-executed maximum off Bailey but fell short on his stab at a second, caught by Williams as Dane Paterson emerged for the final stand.

The last act of the innings saw Tom Loten sweep towards the leg side boundary into the palms of George Bell, seeing the final conclusion of the recovery with Notts posting 185.

With an uphill battle at hand, Brett Hutton and Dane Paterson paired up to pin down George Bell and Keaton Jennings, the former conceding to Hutton in the seventh over as Slater took a simple catch to make the first breakthrough.

The Outlaws were then made to wait a lengthy spell for their second scalp, held at bay by Jennings who carved out a well-paced half-century.

Contrastingly the next two dismissals came in successive deliveries from Patterson-White, who was edged in behind by Steven Croft and Dane Vilas, with Schadendorf and Montgomery taking the respective catches to reduce Lancashire to 116/3 over the half-way mark.

George Balderson then denied Patterson-White his hat-trick, but the quickfire double breathed new hope into the Outlaws’ search for victory.

Jennings had other ideas, however, and partnered well with Balderson to see out a comfortable chase with an unbeaten 103 from 125 deliveries.

The result sees the Outlaws' one-day campaign come to a close at the group stage, finishing middle of the pile with seven points while Leicestershire, Hampshire and Lancashire progress.