Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire: Scores & match report

Match scores (County Ground, Derby)

Nottinghamshire won by four wickets (D/L method)

Derbyshire inns: (50/50) 303-4 (Godleman 90, Slater 72, Masden 66*; Pattinson 2-55)

Nottinghamshire inns: (46.2/47) 286-6 (Hales 77, Wessels 67, Patel 59; Madsen 2-26, Mendis 2-53)

Match report

Billy Root held his nerve to steer Nottinghamshire to a four-wicket Duckworth-Lewis victory over Derbyshire that keeps their Royal London One-Day Cup hopes alive.

The Outlaws were starting to unravel chasing a revised target of 286 from 47 overs but Root made an unbeaten 23 from 25 balls to see his side home with four balls to spare.

They had been cruising at 242 for three through half centuries from Alex Hales (pictured), Riki Wessels and Samit Patel, but a rain break allowed Derbyshire to regroup and give themselves hope of an unlikely victory.

The Falcons recorded their highest one-day score against Nottinghamshire of 303 for four, with Billy Godleman top-scoring with 90 and Ben Slater and Wayne Madsen passing 50, but it was not enough.

The game was played on the same wicket that yielded over 600 runs on Sunday and there was little in it for the Nottinghamshire attack as Godleman and Slater played positively from the start.

Slater just cleared mid on off Harry Gurney but the Outlaws rarely looked like taking a wicket until a mix-up resulted in Slater being run out for 72 after he and Godleman had combined for an opening stand of 148.

Shiv Thakor was caught at extra cover trying to force James Pattinson but Madsen made the most of a dropped catch by Michael Lumb when he was 12 to score an unbeaten 66. 

He twice hit Patel for straight sixes on his way to a 42-ball 50 and although Pattinson induced a leading edge from Daryn Smit, Gary Wilson (23no) helped Madsen provide late acceleration by taking three consecutive fours off Jake Ball.

It was the first time Derbyshire had scored 300 in consecutive one-day games and their hopes of defending it were raised when Madsen had Lumb caught at long off in the second over, but Hales (77) and Wessels (67) turned the game with some thrilling strokes.

Hales was severe on Tom Milnes, taking five fours from six balls in a three-over spell that cost 34, and after reaching 50 from 35 deliveries he drove Jeevan Mendis for the first of two sixes.

The Outlaws were well ahead of the game when Hales attempted a reverse swipe at Matt Critchley and lost his middle stump, but Wessels maintained the tempo until he tried to drive Mendis for another six and was superbly caught by Alex Hughes diving forward at long off.

However, after struggling with his timing early on, Patel found his fluency and took three fours from a Ben Cotton over and drove Thakor for a big six before rain stopped play for 20 minutes.

A revised target of 49 from 10 overs should have been straightforward but Brendan Taylor miscued a drive before Madsen was brought back and had Patel caught at long off for 59.

Chris Read then played on to Thakor but Root emerged from a nervous start to see Nottinghamshire over the line and end a run of two North Group defeats.