T20 Blast round-up: Notts in last gasp win and Essex finally off the mark

Nottinghamshire Outlaws' Tom Moores made 42 from 30 balls in their one-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes

Nottinghamshire Outlaws grabbed a narrow and thrilling victory over Leicestershire Foxes, winning by one wicket with one ball to spare, on a day which saw Durham, Derbyshire and Worcestershire all post wins in T20 Blast North Group.

Durham defended a big total, Derbyshire chased one down and Northants' slide continued, this time at the hands of Worcestershire.

Meanwhile, in the South Group, Essex claimed their first win in a rain-affected game with Surrey, while Somerset, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan were also victorious.

But the prize for the most nerve-racking finish went to Trent Bridge.

After visitors Leicestershire had posted 188-2 from 20 overs, with half-centuries from Rishi Patel (51) and Sol Budinger (56), Nottinghamshire had looked in control of the chase after 50 from Joe Clarke and a gutsy cameo from Tom Moores (42).

But the loss of Moores for the seventh wicket saw the game tighten with 10 still needed from 14 balls and prompted a late wobble.

Needing five for the win and four for a tie from the final over, three singles then a wicket brought last man Farhan Ahmed to the crease with two needed from two balls.

His hit out to the cover boundary was gathered by his brother Rehan but with Farhan gambling on a second the throw came in just too late to prevent Notts getting home.

Elsewhere in North Group, Derbyshire Falcons pulled off a brilliant run chase anchored around a stunning knock from Aneurin Donald to deny Yorkshire at Chesterfield.

Solid contributions throughout the Yorkshire batting effort saw them rack up 200-6 from their 20 overs.

But Donald then hit a 13-ball 50 to equal Marcus Trescothick's T20 Blast record on the way to 85 off 35 deliveries, including eight fours and seven sixes, to set up an improbable chase.

When Donald fell at 125-2, Ross Whiteley (29) and Wayne Madsen (38) still had work to do but the pair brought home only the third win of their Blast campaign by seven wickets with 16 balls to spare.

Victory left Derbyshire still bottom, level on points with Yorkshire but behind on net run rate.

They are eight points off fourth spot and, with four games to go, remain in contention for a quarter-final spot.

Northants Steelbacks continue to battle to pull out of a worrying tailspin, with Worcestershire Rapids inflicting a fourth-straight defeat on David Willey's quarter-final contenders, who remain third.

Adam Finch posted figures of 3-28 as Northants were restricted to 152-9 and Kashif Ali did the damage with the bat as Worcestershire recovered from a horror start at 3-2.

Ali hit 88 in 46 balls with seven fours and six sixes to tilt the match back in the Rapids' favour, with the visitors running out winners by six wickets with 20 balls to spare.

And Durham saw off a spirited chase from Birmingham Bears to stay on the heels of leaders Lancashire Lightning, level on points but behind on net run rate.

Will Rhodes's 36-ball 51 against his former side was the cornerstone of a solid batting display from the hosts, who reached 182-7 despite another good spell from Hasan Ali, who finished with 3-32.

Three separate double-wicket bursts in close succession took crucial momentum from the Bears' chase, the visitors eventually falling eight runs short despite 49 from Ed Barnard.

Essex finally land win as Somerset down Hawks to stay top

Matt Critchley hit the winning runs for Essex at Surrey

Essex finally got their T20 season up and running by getting the better of a turbo-charged chase after rain reduced their match against Surrey to a 12 overs per side shootout.

A ferocious display with the bat from the hosts, which featured eight sixes and 11 fours, helped Surrey post an imposing 141-6, a total which looked set to condemn Essex to yet another defeat.

But a superb opening partnership of 64 in 27 balls between Michael Pepper (36 in 15 balls) and Paul Walter (55 in 26) put them on track.

Adam Zampa looked to have wrested that momentum back in Surrey's favour with 3-14 in his three overs as the nerves set in.

But needing 30 from the last three, then 18 from the last two, Essex needed seven from the final over off Sam Curran to win.

Having secured at least a tie with the penultimate delivery, Matt Critchley found the point boundary to secure victory off the final ball.

Sean Dickson shared an 89-run partnership with Tom Abell

Hampshire Hawks' new signing Chris Lynn was unable to back up his debut half-century after sustaining an injury in Saturday's victory over Sussex Sharks.

In his absence, James Vince (82) and Joe Weatherley (60) had helped the Hawks to what looked a decent enough 178-3 in 20 overs. Yet it was to prove just short as Somerset chased down the target, winning by four wickets with one ball to spare.

An 89-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Sean Dickson (52 in 33 balls) and Tom Abell (37) teed up Ben Green and Lewis Goldsworthy, who both cleared the ropes in the final six deliveries to confirm the win.

Glamorgan walloped Kent Spitfires, winning by six wickets with 50 balls to spare at Sophia Gardens. Ned Leonard (4-17) and Andy Gorvin (4-26) did the damage with the ball as Kent were restricted to terminally under par 118-9.

And three wickets in six balls derailed a Middlesex chase at the death as Gloucestershire successfully defended their total of 204-5, winning by nine runs.

D'Arcy Short's 48-ball 83 proved the centrepiece of an excellent batting effort from Gloucestershire but Middlesex made a decent stab of chasing it down, reaching 169-4 with 13 balls left.

Ryan Higgins then hit his own wicket off the bowling of David Payne and then two wickets in five balls from Josh Shaw, who finished with 3-48, left Middlesex with too much to do.

Joe Cracknell and Zafar Gohar combined for three sixes in the final over but it was not enough to prevent last year's T20 Blast champions posting a fourth consecutive victory.