Notts Outlaws were unable to capitalise on a disciplined bowling performance as Birmingham Bears prevailed by 22 runs at Edgbaston.

Olly Stone secured three wickets on his return to his former county, with Luke Fletcher recording figures of 2/19 from his first four T20 overs of the summer, but a Bears attack led by Dan Mousley saw the hosts to their second victory of their Vitality Blast campaign.

Earlier, the Outlaws had been able to restrict the Bears’ run-rate with variations of pace and line and length after a brisk start from openers Rob Yates and Alex Davies.

It was Ben Lister who broke through in the first over, curtailing Davies’ cameo as he skied to Tom Moores for 12.

Stone saw off Chris Benjamin in the fourth, Calvin Harrison holding on with customary aplomb in the deep – before Matthew Montgomery induced Sam Hain into miscueing back to the spinner for 16.

Dan Mousley was pouched by Joe Clarke off Lyndon James soon after, as back-to-back overs yielded just four runs and saw the Bears reach 80/4 at halfway.

Yates remained to anchor the innings, but he lost two more partners as Jacob Bethell slashed a wider Stone delivery to James, before George Garton swiped to Moores in the next over.

It took the return of Fletcher to see off half-centurion Yates, a shorter, slower delivery well held by a harrying Haynes.

Then came a flurry in the final six deliveries, Hassan Ali run out and Jake Lintott pinned before Danny Briggs saw the bails whipped off while short of his ground.

Embarking upon a chase of 150, Clarke and Alex Hales passed 50 for the first wicket in the sixth over, finding the fence with regularity before the former departed for 28. His replacement, Jack Haynes, was caught and bowled soon after.

Will Young and Hales fell to Briggs and Lintott respectively before halfway – the latter having made 32 off 26 – as the game tilted towards the Bears in the latter half of the chase.

Montgomery and Moores rotated the strike as the rebuilding job began, but the Outlaws 'keeper fell victim to an athletic take at deep cover off Gleeson in the 14th over.

With James having departed for four, Montgomery then perished seeking to up the tempo, scooping to Davies having made 33.

As the required rate climbed, Stone, Harrison and Lister were dismissed to see the Bears secure the spoils in the final over.