Ben Slater scored a century as Notts Outlaws maintained their impressive sequence of victories at the start of the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The 27-year old scored exactly 100 as Notts made 301 for nine after winning the toss and opting to bat first against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Slater’s runs came from 115 balls and he hit 15 boundaries, before being bowled by Jeetan Patel, who took five for 45.

Warwickshire lost four wickets in the first 6.1 overs of their reply and were indebted to two of their less experienced players in Liam Banks, who made 57, and Alex Thomson, who scored 55, lower down the order.

Luke Fletcher (3-21) and Matt Carter (3-60) played the leading hands as the home side were bowled out for only 183 in 37.5 overs, giving Notts victory by 118 runs.

The third over of the morning included the first drama as Slater was struck on the helmet from the fourth delivery by Chris Woakes, causing a lengthy hold-up whilst he went through the concussion protocol with physio James Pipe and then had to be fitted with replacement headwear.

Two balls later the batsman was reprieved when he nicked Woakes to second slip but Dominic Sibley spilled a regulation chance.

Joe Clarke went hard at Henry Brookes in the eighth over, taking 18 from four balls, with boundaries on either side and straight being accompanied by a huge six over midwicket.

Following stands of 197 and 74 in the first two matches in the group, the openers had reached 81 by the time that the Bears broke through, with Clarke clipping George Panayi out to leg fence for 39.

Panayi had his second wicket when Ben Duckett chipped to midwicket for only three.

Notts’ progress was arrested further with Jeetan Patel’s introduction into the attack as the home skipper winkled out two more key members of the middle order with a double-wicket maiden.

Jake Libby was bowled for 10 and then Samit Patel was given out lbw a couple of deliveries later.

The innings had nose-dived from 81 without loss to 98 for four in nine pressure-laden overs.

Slater passed 50 for the third match in a row, with his eighth four from 64 balls, to rekindle some momentum.

The left-hander wasted little time in roaring through the 60s and 70s, hitting five boundaries in six deliveries, which enabled Steven Mullaney to ease into his work.

Will Rhodes twice had to look on in frustration as he found the edge of Mullaney’s bat, only for the ball to race through the unprotected slip cordon for fours.

The Nottingham-born all-rounder did eventually get his man though. After adding 95 with Slater, the Outlaws captain nicked through to ‘keeper Tim Ambrose for 40.

Slater was on 95 at the time but ran Patel to third man to reach his fifth one-day hundred, from 111 balls, with 15 fours.

Sadly for Notts, the former Derbyshire player couldn’t go any further as he became Patel’s third victim.

Tom Moores also fell to the spinner, leaving Notts on 207 for seven and in danger of being bowled out cheaply with overs in hand.

That didn’t happen as Fletcher (32 from 22 balls) and James Pattinson (33 from 25 balls) added a 50 that was helped by the sharing of four blows that cleared the ropes.

Warwickshire didn’t help themselves, though, putting Fletcher down off consecutive deliveries.

When both had eventually fallen, the last wicket pair of Carter (21 not out) and Zak Chappell (8 not out) made sure that all the overs were used as the total went past 300.

After finishing the innings with momentum Notts began their bowling effort in the same impressive manner.

Fletcher opened up with a maiden and then Carter started by pinning the dangerous Ed Pollock for nought.

Three more wickets went down in consecutive overs, leaving the reply in tatters at 22 for four.

Fletcher hit the stumps twice in succession to bowl both Sibley and Ambrose, and Pattinson also got in on the act as his first delivery had Hain caught behind for nine.

Notts had to wait for over nine overs before striking again but the switch back to Carter’s off-spin was the undoing of Rhodes, who pushed forward and was stumped for 17.

Banks, playing in only his third List A match, showed admirable maturity – and no little skill – as he advanced to a well-deserved 50 in a battling rearguard.

He lifted Samit Patel for his second six to move to 57 but then spooned the ball high to Pattinson at mid-on, one ball later.

Patel collected a second scalp when Brookes hit to mid-on but there was fight left in the home side as the ninth wicket pair of Thomson and Panayi added 61 entertaining runs.

Thomson’s fifty included a six and six fours but he was bowled by Pattinson and Fletcher closed out the contest by trapping Jeetan Patel lbw.

The victory lifts Notts to the top of the North Group, with three wins out of three, ahead of a home double-header against Leicestershire Foxes on Friday and Yorkshire on Sunday.

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