No cigar

What did I say about Notts being too dependent on Ealham in the one-day stuff? He was the top scorer in the match today with 51, took 3-29 from his nine overs and held a slip catch. That after the top order had failed. It's been a long time since Notts had an effective top three in one day cricket, and today yet another combination flopped.

Mark Ealham celebrates his half century

...only to be bowled by Kabir Ali a few moments later for 51.

Notts' total was nowhere near enough to defend, and Worcestershire were strolling home until Ben Smith holed out on the boundary for 41 off the bowling of Ealham, who then took a slip catch and two more wickets in a desperate bid to get Notts back into the match.

When Hick also holed out - to Swann off the bowling of Cairns for 22 - it looked as though Notts might just steal a highly unlikely victory. But Chris Read, who had been as agile as ever behind the stumps,

spilled a difficult chance off Ray Price

and Worcestershire scraped home.

Worcestershire 165-8 (42.3 overs) beat Notts 161 all out (41.2 overs) by 2 wickets (with three balls to spare)