Notts Outlaws won their fourth match in a row after beating Derbyshire Falcons by three wickets at The County Ground.

Pinpoint bowling from Jake Ball and important runs from Alex Hales, Joe Clarke and Samit Patel helped the Outlaws to a battling victory over their East Midlands rivals.

Today’s win means Notts remain at the top of the northern group and make a big step towards the knockout rounds.

The Outlaws arrived at a sun-drenched Incora County Ground looking to continue a run of three straight wins following a comfortable victory over Durham the day before.

Notts named an unchanged line-up from the previous fixture, and prepared to bowl first after winning the toss.

Shaheen Afridi got Derby Day underway, bowling to Haider Ali and Luis Reece in the opening over.

Derbyshire found a foothold early, gathering 44 runs before Reece sent Jake Ball’s delivery straight into the hands of Alex Hales to dismiss the opener for 16.

It wasn’t long before Ball got his second wicket of the game as Leus Du Plooy, Reece’s replacement, sent the ball high for Joe Clarke to gratefully receive the catch.

The South African managed a two from the ball prior, but that was all his batting evening had to offer. Wayne Madsen joined Ali with Derbyshire on 46/2.

Steven Mullaney stepped up for his second over of the match after the halfway mark and was rewarded when Ali looped the captain’s delivery skyward. Calvin Harrison completed the catch with a forward dive on the boundary to send the opener out for 42 and leave the Falcons on 77/3.

It was then Samit Patel’s turn to join the excitement, as Madsen deflected the ball towards Shaheen Afridi, who had time to settle himself and complete the catch to dismiss the right-handed batter for 26.

A Tom Wood single off the next ball saw Derbyshire enter the fifteenth over on 100/4.

Wood could only manage three more runs by the time Shaheen Afridi’s ball was sent skyward by the batter at the end of the 17th over. Harrison kept his eyes firmly on the ball to remove Wood and leave Derbyshire on 113/5.

Three straight boundaries for Mattie McKiernan offered a glimmer of hope for the Falcons, but that was quickly punctured by Afridi, whose delivery was deflected by Joe Guest into the outstretched hands of Alex Hales for his second catch of the game.

McKiernan and Zak Chappell took four runs in the final over to end the Falcons innings on 142/6.

Alex Hales and Joe Clarke emerged to bat for the Outlaws to chase 143, with Watt opening the Derbyshire bowling innings.

Clarke was batting strongly early on, but couldn’t deal with a George Scrimshaw delivery, resulting in a routine catch for Chappell, which saw an end to his innings after 29 explosive runs.

The opener surpassed 4000 T20 runs during his stint at the crease and left the Outlaws at 41/1.

However, wickets would begin to fall quickly as Munro was next to go. The South African clipped Chappell’s ball off outside edge, with Guest pouching at Wicket-Keeper to dismiss the batter for one at the start of the sixth over.

Scrimshaw was proving to be a thorn in the Outlaws side and took his second wicket just after the powerplay. Matt Montgomery sent his delivery high and into the hands of Du Plooy, as Notts were beginning to slide on 49/3.

Samit Patel entered play after Montgomery’s dismissal, providing much-needed consistency and runs on the board for Notts.

The 38-run partnership was broken by Watt, who clean-bowled Hales for 35 midway through the twelfth over.

Patel was composed at the crease, but couldn't find the boundary off a Scrimshaw delivery, arcing a shot down the throat of Zaman Khan for Derbyshire’s fifth wicket of the game.

Mullaney entered affairs with the Outlaws needing 40 more runs from the remaining five overs to secure victory.

The captain slammed two boundaries during the sixteenth over, making an immediate impact, but was clean bowled when Zaman Khan clattered the stumps, dismissing the skipper for 12 and putting Notts on a precarious 123/6.

Afridi joined Moores in the middle and continued his big-hitting form since joining the Outlaws, hammering two important sixes to move Notts within touching distance of victory approaching the middle of the eighteenth over.

However, his connection on Khan’s delivery three balls after his second six wasn’t so sweet, as Du Plooy clutched the ball to end his batting stint at 14 runs off seven balls.

Harrison joined Moores to see out the victory and didn't need to connect bat to ball in the end. A no-ball from Zaman Khan saw the Outlaws over the line to a three-wicket triumph.

Tom Moores finished the day on 17*, as the league leaders ground out the correct result, culminating in a satisfying trip back down the A52.