Nottinghamshire secured top spot in the North Group of the Friends Life t20 with a 25-run victory over Worcestershire, denying the visitors a place in the quarter-finals.
Overseas batsman Adam Voges hit 55 from 40 balls as the hosts posted 167 for 6, and quick bowlers Darren Pattinson (3 for 20) and Luke Fletcher (3 for 34) did the damage as Worcestershire were bowled out for 142.
Voges held the Nottinghamshire batting together after the hosts stumbled to 35 for 3, putting on 63 with Riki Wessels (33), while Steven Mullaney made a sprightly 35 from 20 balls as the Outlaws hit 38 off the last four overs.
Nottinghamshire were always in the box seat as Pattinson and Fletcher ripped out the top order in the opening powerplay and, despite 45 from skipper Daryl Mitchell, the Royals' reply fell away in the final overs.
Nottinghamshire' record of 11 wins from their 16 group matches has been based on a formidable batting line-up, but Adam Shantry struck in each of his first three overs as Tamim Iqbal, Alex Hales and Samit Patel were all sent back to the pavilion to put the hosts on the back foot.
Voges kept his cool and consecutive boundaries off Shakib Al Hasan saw the Australian bring up his third 50 in this year's competition off 30 balls as he and Wessels consolidated through the middle overs.
Mitchell's medium pace brought the breakthrough as Voges got a leading edge to point, and Wessels followed in the next over as he holed out to deep midwicket off Shakib. Mullaney then thumped three fours and a six, with 17 coming off Shantry's last over, as Nottinghamshire finished on a high, and Pattinson and Fletcher kept up the momentum with two wickets apiece inside the first five overs.
Moeen Ali briefly threatened as the left-hander hit four fours and a six, but Pattinson was brought back to bowl his final over and duly removed Ali with a leading edge to point. That snuffed out Worcestershire's hopes, with the last five wickets falling in the final four overs as the tail collapsed under the pressure.
Nottinghamshire will now play their home quarter-final against Somerset, who finished fourth in the South Group, with the match to take place on August 6, 7 or 8.
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