Adam Voges, a late overseas replacement for David Hussey, and Chris Read used their nous to steer Nottinghamshire to victory with 12 balls to spare in a rain-affected contest, keeping the county at the top of the Midlands group.

Batting was never easy on a two-paced pitch and the early-evening gloom conspired against the fifth-wicket pair after Nottinghamshire needed 62 from the last ten overs. Voges finished the job with his third four in a calm unbeaten 42 from 40 balls.

Stephen Peters had glued the Northamptonshire batting together after the loss of five wickets inside the first 18 overs. He made 90 before trying to steer Mark Ealham through the off side. Luke Fletcher, a strapping 19-year-old, struck with the second ball of his competitive debut.

Scoreboard

Northamptonshire

S D Peters b Ealham 90

M H Wessels lbw b Shreck 4

†N J O’Brien c Read b Pattinson 13

D J G Sales c Jefferson b Pattinson 0

R A White c Read b Ealham 1

*N Boje c Read b Fletcher 5

L Klusener not out 60

J Louw c Voges b Pattinson 2

D S Lucas not out 6

Extras (lb 4, w 4) 8

Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 189

M S Panesar and J F Brown did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-35, 3-55, 4-56, 5-64, 6-170, 7-175.

Bowling: Shreck 8-0-42-1; Pattinson 10-1-39-3; Ealham 10-2-30-2; Fletcher 9-1-25-1; Swann 10-0-33-0; Patel 3-0-16-0.

Nottinghamshire

W I Jefferson c Wessels b Brown 36

B M Shafayat lbw b Lucas 4

M A Wagh lbw b Boje 26

A C Voges not out 42

S R Patel c Sales b Louw 19

*†C M W Read not out 10

Extras (lb 4, w 4) 8

Total (4 wkts, 28 overs) 145

M A Ealham, G P Swann, D J Pattinson, L J Fletcher and C E Shreck did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-62, 3-77, 4-112.

Bowling: Lucas 5-0-16-1; Louw 5-0-28-1; Klusener 3-1-15-0; Boje 7-0-38-1; Panesar 2-0-17-0; Brown 6-0-27-1.

Umpires: I J Gould and V A Holder.