WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids failed with the bat as they suffered their second defeat of the Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.

Notts Outlaws held their nerve at Trent Bridge against the County, who led the North Group before the match, to keep alive their hopes of retaining the silverware.

Defending a sub-par 202, the hosts bowled out Rapids for only 164 to pull off an unlikely 38-run victory.

Bowler Luke Fletcher returned a career-best 4-20 as the visitors were bowled out in 47.2 overs.

Daryl Mitchell made 62 in the chase but too many of his team-mates gifted their wickets as the defending champions kept a tight grip on the run-rate.

The loss was particularly hard on England's Moeen Ali who also had his best day with the ball with 4-33 as Notts were bowled out in 45.1 overs.

Riki Wessels (50) top-scored but ex-County loan player Alex Hales, playing his first match of the season for Notts after Indian Premier League duty, made just 21.

Defending such a modest target, the home side were indebted to early bursts from Fletcher and Jake Ball which reduced Rapids to 21-3.

Ball cleaned up Moeen (10) with a candidate for delivery of the day while Fletcher removed Joe Clarke (3) and Callum Ferguson who only made six after his 192 against Leicestershire on Tuesday.

Mitchell remained defiant while partners came and went at the other end.

Matt Carter followed up his four-wicket haul on debut with the scalp of Ben Cox (17) and fellow spinner Chris Nash picked up his first Outlaws wicket by having Ross Whiteley (3) caught at mid-off.

While Mitchell was at the crease Worcestershire appeared to be favourites but their hopes evaporated when he tamely chipped Steven Mullaney to mid-wicket.

Ed Barnard made 36 towards the back end of the innings but was last out when bowled by Samit Patel.

Earlier Notts struggled to build any momentum under cloudy skies.

Openers Wessels and Hales added 44 from the opening powerplay overs but were then separated by Barnard as the England international chopped on.

Moeen’s first two victims fell in identical fashion after sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 63. Wessels reached his 50 from 51 deliveries but fell a ball later, bottom-edging onto his stumps and Ross Taylor did the same after making 47.

Pace off the ball continued to work for Rapids with Brett D’Oliveira (2-46) removing Patel and Mullaney in the same over during an excellent spell.

Notts failed to hit a single six and a youthful tail could not bail out the top order with the final five wickets falling for only 38.

Mitchell also picked up two late wickets as the home side’s innings ended 29 balls early. 

Worcestershire, who lost at the semi-final stage a year ago, now have eight points from six matches.

Head coach Kevin Sharp said: “The pitch was a bit different to what you normally see at Trent Bridge.

"It was a lot slower and gripped a bit and spun so there’s not been the sort of runs that you normally get here.

“We’re disappointed but the one thing I’m pleased about is that all season when we’ve looked as though we might be down and out in a game we’ve always got back into a position where we just might and that happened again.

"I know we were 30-odd short at the end but I thought we could still win so that’s a good sign.”