Kent Spitfires remain in second place in the Norwich Union League Division One after defeating the Notts Outlaws by just one run at Trent Bridge. Having set the home side a victory target of 197 it was nail-biting time for the Spitfires as Darren Bicknell with 64 and then Kevin Pietersen, with 48, threatened to condemn them to their first NCL defeat of the season. With two needed from the final ball though, Andrew Symonds throw from the long on boundary ran out Pietersen.

Replying to the visitors' all-out total of 196, Darren Bicknell's first four scoring strokes all raced to the boundary boards as Notts began in confident fashion. His only moment of real concern in the early stages was an unintentional `beamer' from Ben Trott which narrowly missed his head.

Trott caused problems of a different sort in his next over when he found the outside edge of Greg Blewett's bat, but `keeper Paul Nixon dropped a straightforward offering moving to his right.

Blewett had again looked out of touch and made only 13 when he tried to hit across the line to Trott and was bowled. Usman Afzaal made only eight before being stumped advancing down the track to try and slog Min Patel over midwicket.

Bicknell moved to his fifth league half century of the season (81 mins 69 balls 9x4's) to cement his position as the leading run scorer in the NUL. Paul Johnson continued his fine recent form, combining deft touches with aggressive pulls.

The pair had put on 47 runs in 12 overs when Johnson stepped back to give himself room against Patel but succeeded only in hitting the ball straight into the midriff of Andrew Symonds in the covers.

Patel and Symonds dragged Kent back into the contest with miserly spells and the Outlaws needed more than a run a ball from the last ten overs. Mark Ealham's return to the attack supplied the most important moment of the innings thus far, as his second ball induced Bicknell to chip straight to Fulton at midwicket.

Ealham also bowled Bilal Shafayat and Chris Read but Kevin Pietersen upped the tempo and hit Saggers for a huge six as 21 were needed from the final three overs and then 12 from two. Richard Logan played his part to leave just six needed from the last over.

A single took Pietersen to 48. Logan missed the next two but then got his partner back on strike. The canny Ealham then deceived everybody as Notts dashed through for a bye. 194-6 with one ball to go. Logan drove it straight but Pietersen couldn't get back for two and was easily run out to leave the Spitfires victors by one run.

Earlier Kent, who won the toss and elected to have first use of the wicket, were dismissed for just 196 in the final over of their innings. They overcame the loss of James Hockley in the first over to reach 53-1, but then lost wickets steadily throughout with only David Fulton topping 30. Six different Outlaws bowlers shared the wickets, with Greg Smith carding the best figures with 3-37.

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