Former Nottinghamshire player and coach Paul Johnson told BBC Radio Nottingham: "That's not a great wicket because Dan Christian is probably the one person who can really clear the ropes."

Two singles open Wes Durston's final over before James Taylor slog sweeps a four.

But once again a boundary is followed immediately by a wicket, as Dan Christian is run out for two.

The skipper takes a single before new batsman Greg Smith hits his first ball for four. 57 needed from 24.

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"It was a great win on a tough wicket against a team that are in form and playing some nice cricket.

"It's nice to be back with the boys, in amongst all the banter again. I'm pretty happy that me and Dean (Elgar) had a good start and managed to get a few boundaries away, which is always helpful.

"We had a good platform to go from there, but the pitch deteriorated quite quickly and credit to our bowlers who actually came out and bowled exactly what we planned.

"They got a couple of early boundaries, but then we clawed it back really well."

Samit Patel finds the boundary with Shiv Thakor's second ball, but the bowler gets his revenge next ball as Patel is caught by Wes Durston.

Dan Christian joins the fray, but he and Taylor are restricted to a single apiece.

Good comeback from Thakor. Notts need an imposing 65 from only 30 balls, but the captain is still there.

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James Taylor launches his former Leicestershire team-mate Wayne White for six off the first ball of his final over.

Taylor then takes a brace and a single, as does Samit Patel, before Taylor takes a two off the final ball.

A better over for Notts, 14 from it. Now 70 needed from 36.

"After a really difficult day, to get over the line was a really good effort. We should have got 150 but 137 was always going to be competitive with three spinners in the team. Credit to the guys, they deserved to scramble over the line."

Birmingham, remember, were late getting to Old Trafford because of traffic problems on the M6 and were then put into bat.

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BBC Sport's Elizabeth Ammon:, external "Outstanding bowling by Recordo Gordon. Read the pitch perfectly."

BBC WM 95.6's Mike Taylor: "That's six wins out of eight now for the Bears. They are top of the group with Worcestershire losing and they are looking pretty good."

That's excellent stuff from Alex Hughes, no boundary for a second successive over.

He finishes with 0-22 from his four overs - a pretty stingy economy rate in the context of this game. Notts need 85 runs from 42 balls.

Another miserly over from Alex Hughes goes for just five singles to push the required run rate up a little.

Wes Durston also keeps things tight, restricting Notts skipper James Taylor and Samit Patel to eight.

The run rate is now above 11 and Notts need 91 from 48 balls.

What looked like it should have been a walk in the park for Lancashire, turned out out to be anything but as Birmingham Bears showed why they are the defending T20 Blast champions with an against-the-odds victory at Old Trafford.

Needing 17 off the final over, Liam Livingstone struck a four and a six for the Red Rose county, but another boundary was beyond him and he was run out in a futile attempt to complete a second run that would have forced a tie -but was only ever on if Tim Ambrose dropped Ateeq Javid's throw.

Seam bowler Recordo Gordon was their star performer, taking 4-20 from his four overs, including the vital wicket of dangerous James Faulkner for 34.

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Liam Livingstone pulls Oliver Hannon-Dalby for six just in front of square and Lancashire need three to win off the final ball.

Alex Davies attempts a reverse sweep and gloves a catch through to the keeper as Recordo Gordon finished his four overs with figures of 4-20 for Birmingham Bears. One over to go, 17 needed by Lancashire, it's all down to Liam Livingstone and Arron Lilley.

Former Nottinghamshire player and coach Paul Johnson told BBC Radio Nottingham: "He didn't get hold of it - perhaps got it a little higher up on the bat than the last one, which went for six."

A good over from Alex Hughes slows Nottinghamshire's charge, with just four runs off the bat and two wides.

Riki Wessels then takes six and a four off Wes Durston as he seeks to maintain the run rate, but a third attempt finds Scott Elstone on the boundary.

A great knock, 66 at exactly two-a-ball, but it's a big blow for the visitors.

It's all over at Chelmsford and that choir of significantly sized ladies are now in full voice. David Masters has Danny Briggs caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary by Tom Westley and Essex are victors over Hampshire by 78 runs.

BBC Radio Lancashire's Scott Read: "What a big breakthrough! Laurie Evans may have taken a decisive catch."

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Lancashire's James Faulkner rides his luck as an attempted slog-sweep in the 18th over results in a top edge that obligingly falls between two Birmingham Bears fielders. But his luck runs out in the next one as Laurie Evans takes a good catch to give Recordo Gordon his third wicket- 19 needed off 10 balls.

Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

"James Faulkner knows he has to be the man to go big."

That's a superb half-century from Riki Wessels, bringing up the landmark with a single. That's come in double-quick time too, off 23 balls and including eight fours and two sixes.

Just what Notts needed after losing Alex Hales for a duck.

But then another blow - opener Michael Lumb falls for 22 to Wes Durston. This total is certainly still chaseable, however.