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Qualification for the T20 Blast quarter-finals will go down to the final round of fixtures after a weather-affected evening left both groups finely poised.
Notts Outlaws looked on course for the last eight after Pakistan international Shaheen Afridi reduced Birmingham Bears to 7-4 after the first over, but the North Group leaders responded to chase down 169 and win by two wickets with five balls to spare at Trent Bridge.
The Outlaws sit fourth in the group, ahead of Yorkshire on net run-rate, with victory for the Bears booking a home quarter-final tie for the Edgbaston side.
An explosive maiden T20 century by Tom Wood fired Derbyshire Falcons to a 71-run win over Leicestershire Foxes, and the sixth-placed Falcons face a decider at home against Worcestershire Rapids, who remain in third place after tying with Durham on the DLS method after bad light stopped play at New Road.
The Rapids were 112-3 after 11 overs in reply to Durham’s 216-4.
Lancashire Lightning, in second, are on the brink of a spot in the last eight after their match against Yorkshire at Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball being bowled, which looks to have ended the Vikings’ own hopes of progressing.
In the South Group, Tom Banton’s knock of 84 off 44 balls and a career-best 4-30 from Matt Henry helped leaders Somerset – who were already assured of a home tie in first knock-out round – to an 18-run win at second-placed Surrey.
Hampshire Hawks moved level on 16 points with Surrey after securing a 21-run victory over Glamorgan on the DLS method after a long delay following rain at the Ageas Bowl.
The Hawks had scored 97-2 from 9.2 overs when the weather halted play, and the visitors could only muster 54-1 with three balls remaining from their target of 84 from six overs when the rain returned to bring an end to proceedings.
Fourth-placed Kent Spitfires remain on 14 points after an 11-run defeat on the DLS method at home against Sussex Sharks, scoring 117-4 in their chase of a revised target of 129 from 10 overs after Sussex all-rounder Ravi Bopara hit a career-best 108 as the visitors posted 228-7 from their 20 overs.
The Sharks could yet sneak into the top four themselves if they register a large victory over Gloucestershire on Saturday and other results go their way in the final round.
Meanwhile, Essex Eagles‘ hopes of qualifying are hanging by a thread after bottom club Middlesex chased down 226 to win by two wickets and register only their second win in the competition this season.
The Eagles, who are fifth in the table and below Kent on net run-rate, travel to Surrey on Sunday.
Final group fixtures (14:30 BST start unless stated)
Saturday
- Sussex Sharks v Gloucestershire
Sunday
- Derbyshire Falcons v Worcestershire Rapids
- Lancashire Lightning v Northamptonshire Steelbacks
- Notts Outlaws v Leicestershire Foxes
- Birmingham Bears v Durham
- Glamorgan v Middlesex
- Hampshire Hawks v Gloucestershire
- Surrey v Essex
- Somerset v Kent Spitfires (18:30 BST)
Quarter-finals are scheduled for Thursday 6 and Friday, 7 July
