Leicestershire 161 for 5 (Goldsworthy 67, Neesham 44) defeated Nottinghamshire 160 for 6 (Martindale 44) by five wickets.
Leicestershire Foxes' all-rounder Lewis Goldsworthy achieved a career-high score of 67, helping his team secure a crucial five-wicket victory against East Midlands rivals Notts Outlaws at the Uptonsteel County Ground, advancing their quest for a spot in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.
New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham provided strong support, contributing 44 runs off 22 balls, as the Foxes chased down the target with an over to spare. Despite a shaky start at six for three, they managed to overcome the Outlaws, who endured their eighth loss in their worst season in the current Blast format.
With seven of the nine North Group counties vying for four qualifying spots in a tight race, the Foxes, sitting at 14 points, might still need to defeat the group leaders, Birmingham Bears, in their final fixture at Edgbaston next Friday to ensure progression.
Ben Martindale, a 21-year-old left-hander, scored 44 runs off 42 balls, marking the best performance in his nascent T20 career, while captain Joe Clarke added 39 runs from 23 balls. The Outlaws reached 160 for six, with a mid-innings collapse partially salvaged by Liam Patterson-White (28 off 16) and Lyndon James (22 off 11), with Scott Currie taking two for 35 for the Foxes.
However, the total proved insufficient despite Olly Stone's two for 22 from his four overs and Rehan Ahmed’s 34 from 38. Choosing to bat first, the Outlaws were satisfied with their start, reaching 49 without loss from six overs given their recent form. Clarke and Martindale took advantage of this momentum, hitting seven boundaries from the next 20 deliveries after a slow start.
Clarke hit a full toss from Rehan over the short boundary for his second six and quickly added two more fours. However, their partnership ended at 68 when Clarke was caught on the cover boundary.
Martindale, initially cautious, gained confidence and reverse-pulled a six off Goldsworthy. Yet, the Outlaws stumbled again in the 11th over when Jack Haynes was caught at deep midwicket in a wicket-maiden over by Josh Hull.
Martindale momentarily broke free by slogging Currie over the midwicket boundary, but his attempt to repeat the shot resulted in a brilliant catch by Louis Kimber, who kept the ball in play as he crossed the boundary before stepping back to secure the catch.
Matt Montgomery and Tom Moores fell cheaply, leaving the Outlaws at 115 for five in the 17th over. Patterson-White hit back-to-back sixes off Hull before being caught off Currie, while James remained not out at 22 off 11, adding 45 runs from 20 balls to give their innings some substance.
Despite setting a target of 160, the Foxes had a disastrous start, losing Sol Budinger, Peter Handscomb, and Rishi Patel early to find themselves at six for three after 14 balls.
The situation could have been worse for the home side, as they dropped two difficult slip catches and one easier return catch, with Patterson-White giving Rehan a reprieve on 21. By the halfway mark, with no further losses, the Foxes required 100 more runs for victory.
Rehan was caught at mid-off by James after adding 76 runs with Goldsworthy for the fourth wicket. Goldsworthy, on loan from Somerset, seised the moment, hitting two sixes and six fours before being caught at deep midwicket off Patterson-White. His partnership with Neesham added 54 runs, leaving only 25 more to chase. Neesham nearly completed the job with three sixes and two fours, before Louis Kimber drove Fazalhaq Farooqi for the winning boundary.