Rain ruins Notts clash with Northamptonshire

The Outlaws reached 140 for 6 before the weather sent them off the field after 18 overs

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 140-6, Northamptonshire - no result

Scorecard

Rain frustrated Notts Outlaws and the Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Trent Bridge as their Vitality Blast North Group clash was abandoned without a result due to rain.

After a start delayed by 30 minutes following a late-afternoon downpour, the Outlaws reached 140 for 6 before another cloudburst sent them off the field after 18 overs.

Groundstaff had to put on most of the covers and though the rain eased, it was not soon enough for any mopping up operation to be completed before the cut-off time for a restart and umpires Paul Baldwin and Russell Warren had no option but to signal the abandonment, the teams taking one point each.

It was especially frustrating for Matt Kelly, the Steelbacks' Australian seamer, who took 4 for 29, including the scalp of Samit Patel - still seeking a maiden T20 century at the age of 37 - who was looking as though he might go close when he was out for 63 from 44 balls with 22 balls left in the innings.

The Steelbacks had been well rewarded for their decision to put the Outlaws in as the home side's top three tumbled out inside the powerplay overs on a lively pitch.

Joe Clarke top-edged to deep square leg off Kelly, Alex Hales launched consecutive sixes off Tom Taylor only to swish at one from from Ben Sanderson that had him caught behind off the thinnest of edges, and Ben Duckett ballooned a catch that was chased by Freddie Heldreich from backward point and taken at third man.

^{Ben Sanderson took the wicket of Alex Hales (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

Tom Moores and helped Patel plunder 34 in three overs as the Outlaws advanced to 72 for 3 after nine but the Steelbacks spinners dragged the scoring rate back after Moores had picked out Saif Zaib on the boundary at deep point.

Patel eased the pressure by crashing six and four off Graeme White and four consecutive boundaries off Taylor, all behind square on the off side, going past fifty in this competition for the 26th time.

The charge was checked abruptly by the impressive Kelly, who dismissed Patel and Steven Mullaney in the space of four deliveries in the 17th over, which cost only a single for good measure. Patel followed Moores in picking out deep wicket and Mullaney was caught behind off an inside edge.

The rain returned an over later, the players staying out just long enough for Dan Christian to clear the rope behind square on the leg side off White. Sadly, it was the last action of the night.

The Outlaws are back at Trent Bridge tomorrow to take on Lancashire, while the Steelbacks take on Leicestershire at Wantage Road on Wednesday.