Notts Outlaws held their nerve to regain East Midlands bragging rights from Derbyshire Falcons in a Vitality Blast thriller at Trent Bridge. 

The hosts won by eight runs defending 174, despite the Falcons needing 104 from the final 84 deliveries with nine wickets in hand. 

Captain Joe clarke hit 47 from 28 balls with Tom Moores (31 from 27) and Matt Montgomery (28 not out from 31) adding useful late runs to give their target, while left-arm quick Ben Lister led the Outlaws with the ball on his final appearence, taking 2/24 - including just four runs from both the 17th and 19th over - while Olly Stone produced a nerveless 18th over, coneding just eight runs. 

Aneurin Donald had hit a 26-ball 52 and veteran Wayne Madsen 40 from 35 in the Falcons’ response but for the visitors to fall to a 29th defeat to the Outlaws in T20 cricket. 

After opting to bat first, Clarke hit 36 out of 59/1 in the powerplay. He was dropped just behind square on 24, but responded with three fours in an over off South African quick Daryn Dupavillon before slog-sweeping Ross Whiteley for his second six. Ben Martindale, in his maiden Blast innings, fell to a well-judged catch at long-off for 16.

The Outlaws reached half-way on 89/2 after Clarke was caught at short third seeking to scoop, while Alex Hales (26 off 23) and Jack Haynes (18 off 13) both made starts before being caught in the deep.

It took some enterprising batting from Moores and Montgomery to give the Outlaws bowlers something to defend, Moores hammering Samit Patel for six over long-on before being athletically caught at short fine-leg by Madsen.

Giving early impetus to the chase, Donald’s extraordinary hitting power lifted the Falcons to 70/1 in their batting powerplay after David Lloyd had hoicked Olly Stone to midwicket for seven, the former Glamorgan batter completing a 21-ball half-century with his fifth six .

But the Outlaws left-arm spinner responded superbly, having Donald caught on the slog-sweep before bowling Zak Chappell in a second over that conceded only two runs. With leg-spinner Calvin Harrison miserly at the other end, the Falcons were 87/3 from 10, the outcome squarely in the balance.

Cam Fletcher was well caught at long-off but Madsen stepped up to damage Harrison’s figures with a four drilled through the on-side and a six over long-off to bring the requirement down to 46 from five overs before Ross Whitely cleared the rope off Stone but holed out off Lister.

Patel’s visions of being the match-winner on his return vanished when he bottom-edged Stone into his stumps and when Madsen slashed Lister to be caught on the point boundary - a second wicket in two superb death overs - the Outlaws were favourites, the Falcons needing 19 from six balls, which proved too much.