Joe Clarke’s second successive half-century was again not enough for Notts Outlaws to complete a challenging chase as they fell to a Vitality Blast defeat by Derbyshire Falcons.

Chasing a target of exactly 200, Clarke hammered 59 off 36 to go with his 50 against Yorkshire on Wednesday night, but the Outlaws fell short, ending on 153-9.

Leg-spinner Calvin Harrison had earlier claimed 3/32 to keep the Falcons in check, but Aneurin Donald’s 73 had laid the platform for the visitors to post their 199-5.

Samit Patel then picked up 3/14 to restrict the Outlaws’ efforts, with Clarke and Matt Montgomery’s stand of 65 unable to catalyse a victory.

Put in, Derbyshire were 61 without loss in their batting powerplay, as Donald rode his luck but struck his way to a 25-ball half-century.

Harrison, introduced after the conclusion of the powerplay, found some sharp turn to remove Caleb Jewell’s off stump with his first ball.

Moments later, he was involved again as Donald, having raised his sixes tally to five, found the all-rounder at wide midwicket off Liam Patterson-White.

The left-arm spinner then returned the favour as Wayne Madsen holed out to cover to give Harrison a second wicket.

Rob Lord, on his Blast debut, picked up his maiden wicket as Patel failed to clear mid-off before Harrison had Martin Andersson leg before sweeping.

However, Brooke Guest and Ross Whiteley combined to add an unbroken 65 late in the innings and set Notts their stiff target.

That task quickly became harder for the hosts as Mohammed Ghazanfar removed Lyndon James, caught, and Jack Haynes, leg before, prior to Freddie McCann being bowled.

A horrible moment at the start of the sixth over saw wicketkeeper Guest and Ghazanfar, running in from mid-on, collide going for the same catch.

Neither man held on, but both were deemed by medical staff to be able to continue, and Guest retained the gloves with Ghazanfar returning to the fray after a brief period off the field.

Clarke was dropped at extra cover on 46, with the shot running away to the PKF Smith Cooper Stand boundary and taking him to his third fifty of the season.

However, he was uprooted by Patel in the game’s defining moment as he holed out to Pat Brown on the boundary, and wickets fell at regular intervals from that point on.

Despite a swashbuckling unbeaten 22 from Calvin Harrison off 14 balls, the wickets of Daniel Sams, Patterson-White, and Lord all contributed to the eventual end.

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