North Group

New Road: Worcestershire 206-7, Nottinghamshire 161 - Worcestershire won by 45 runs

Worcestershire Rapids retained their sliver of a hope of T20 Blast qualification with a 45-run win over Notts Outlaws at New Road.

The Rapids amassed a hefty 206 for 7 thanks to punchy contributions from the top five, led by Ethan Brookes (57 from 20 balls) and Brett D'Oliveira (46 off 36). Dillon Pennington took 3 for 34.

Outlaws replied with 161 all out to suffer a defeat, which leaves their qualification hopes also hanging by a thread. Outlaws must beat Lancashire Lightning tomorrow and hope that Warwickshire Bears and Leicestershire Foxes lose.

Rapids, meanwhile, their group games over, need the Bears, Foxes and Outlaws to lose, accompanied by the required seismic shift in net run-rate.
 

Jos Buttler posted a superb season's best 77 off 46 balls and became only the second Englishman to reach 13,000 career T20 runs as Lancashire Lightning beat Yorkshire in a pulsating Roses match at Headingley and qualified for the T20 Blast quarter-finals.

With Nottinghamshire losing at Worcestershire, Lancashire would have advanced, whatever this result. But ending a run of three Roses defeats, including one last week, means they secured a top-two finish in the North Group for a home tie in September's last eight. 
 

Buttler's dynamism from number three, including eight fours and three sixes, was the centrepiece of 174 all out, which saw the wickets shared around a Yorkshire attack on a competitive surface.

Sir James Anderson, fresh from his Hundred wildcard selection, and Australian off-spinner Chris Green shone with 3 for 25 and 3 for 27 as Yorkshire were bowled out for 153, including Abdullah Shafique's 54 off 34.

South Group

Cheltenham: Sussex 186-6, Gloucestershire 185-5 - Sussex Sharks win by four wickets.

Danny Lamb held his nerve to hit 16 runs off five balls and carry Sussex Sharks to a dramatic last-ball four-wicket win over Gloucestershire in a thrilling T20 Blast encounter on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. 

Chasing a victory target of 186, the  Sharks required 15 runs off the final over, bowled by David Payne. Lamb clubbed three boundaries, including one off the final ball, to stun a large Festival audience into silence and end Gloucestershire's defence of the title they lifted last year.
 

James Coles hit 62 from 40 balls and Tom Alsop 55 from 33, these two staging a superb fourth-wicket alliance of 106 in 9.2 overs to set up a remarkable win and keep alive Sharks' chances of making the quarter-finals.

D'Arcy Short top-scored with a 45-ball 66, struck 7 fours and 3 sixes and dominated a stand of 81 in 8.5 overs with fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft, who contributed 45, while Ben Charlesworth blazed 44 not out at the death as Gloucestershire posted 185-5. Henry Crocombe claimed 3 for 32 and Nathan McAndrew 1 for 21 from four tight overs to keep the Sharks in the hunt.