FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, Trent Bridge (1800 BST):
Nottinghamshire 159-6 bt Durham 155-9 by four wickets
Match scorecard

Nottinghamshire extended their lead at the top of the FP t20 North Group with a hard-fought four-wicket win over Durham at Trent Bridge.

Having opted to field, Nottinghamshire looked in trouble when they slipped to 96-6 in reply to the visitors' 155.

But David Hussey (47no) and Graeme White (26no) steadied the ship, belting them to victory in the final over.

Durham skipper Phil Mustard set a good tempo, scoring 35 in 20 balls, but his team-mates could not match his graft.

Only their international imports, South African Albie Morkel (28) and New Zealander Ross Taylor (25) made significant contributions.

Notts bowlers Dirk Nannes, Darren Pattinson, Samit Patel and Stephen Mullaney picked up two wickets each, Patel's four overs going for a frugal 15 runs.

But the home side's reply began disastrously, with Alex Hales run out by Morkel in the first over and Ali Brown cleaned up by the South African soon after.

Matt Wood (36) and Patel (20) settled the batting but wickets kept falling at regular intervals, putting the home side under pressure.

When Hussey and White arrived together at the crease, the run rate was in danger of spiralling out of control.

But some massive hitting at the death - including 22 off the penultimate over, bowled by Ben Harmison - carried Nottinghamshire to a win that had looked highly unlikely halfway through their innings.

Nottinghamshire's seventh win of the campaign leaves them fours points clear at the top of North Group ahead of Lancashire and third-placed Warwickshire, who visit Trent Bridge on Sunday (1100 BST)

The defeat leaves Durham seven points adrift of the top slot ahead of Saturday's trip to Northampton (1440 BST).

They then take on Warwickshire in the Championship at Chester-le-Street on Monday before returning to Twenty20 duty against the Bears next Friday night, also on home soil (1800 BST).

BBC Radio Newcastle's Martin Emmerson gives his verdict:

Notts have beaten Durham twice now and, in both cases, it could easily have been the other way around.

Durham should have won this one. It was always tight and 155 was always going to be a difficult score to defend, but they were on track for so long.

In a match that witnessed 11 overs of spin from both sides, which yielded five wickets and just 51 runs, David Hussey steered his team home against Durham's quicks.

Why Gareth Breese didn't bowl his four overs out remains a mystery after taking 2-10 from three.

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