YORKSHIRE’S batsmen shouldered the blame for Saturday’s missed opportunity against Nottinghamshire in a low-scoring NatWest T20 Blast defeat at Trent Bridge.

The Vikings lost by 22 runs despite restricting the Outlaws to 143-9 thanks to a superb bowling and fielding display led by Ryan Sidebottom’s 3-24 from four overs.

Eight of the nine Notts wickets to fall on a slow pitch were caught. Tim Bresnan took two wickets and three catches, including a sharp return catch to get rid of England T20 colleague Alex Hales.

But Yorkshire’s batsmen could not capitalise even though they took 14 runs off the first over. They slipped to 69-5 in the 13th before reaching only 121-9.

Coach Jason Gillespie’s men have now won three, lost two and had two No Results from their first seven matches, which marks the halfway point in the group.

“It certainly was (one that got away),” said Gillespie, who saw Notts match Yorkshire with the ball and in the field.

“We should have chased that down and chased it down comfortably.

“For us to lose, it’s very disappointing.

“We had a really good chat in the dressing room, and the batters have put their hands up.

“We just didn’t get the job done.

“There was a little bit of indecision, and I think there was a lack of clarity.

“When lads got out there, they weren’t executing the basic plan.”

Notts captain James Taylor scored 52 not out off 38 balls, and he was the only batsman in the match to pass 40 after electing to bat. Oliver Robinson also picked up a couple of wickets for the visitors.

Yorkshire’s chase were undermined by losing crucial and soft wickets at inopportune times, meaning they never had a platform to kick on from.

Aaron Finch clipped Luke Fletcher (3-21) to short fine-leg in the second over, Andrew Gale uppercut Ajmal Shahzad to third-man, Jonny Bairstow lofted Samit Patel to long-on, Adam Lyth was smartly run out by bowler Steven Mullaney after looking for a quick single and Alex Lees (37) chipped Patel to mid-wicket.

Sixth-wicket pair Bresnan and Adil Rashid, celebrating the recent arrival of a baby boy, took a target of 69 off six overs to 40 off four, but both departed as Notts ended up comfortably defending 25 off the last.

The importance of the home double header against Leicestershire and Durham in the space of 24 hours, the first of them tomorrow, has increased.

It is still not panic stations, however, because Yorkshire have at least one game in hand on all of the North Division’s top four teams.

“We thought it was fantastic (bowling and fielding),” added Gillespie.

“We reduced them to a below par score.

“But, when it came to our batting, the middle overs cost us.

“Patel and Mullaney, I thought they bowled very well.

“We didn’t dictate, and it became too much to do.’’