Samit Patel’s career-best Twenty20 bowling figures of four for 20 helped Notts Outlaws beat Essex Eagles by 39 runs and become the first side to qualify for this season’s T20 Blast Finals Day.

Defending 162 for seven, the Outlaws were indebted to the slow left-arm spin of Patel, plus the contributions of Steven Mullaney, two for 16, and Imran Tahir, one for 24, as Essex were bowled out for 123 in 18.4 overs.

Jesse Ryder made 47 before being unluckily run-out backing up but the middle order collapsed dramatically as all 10 wickets fell for only 58 in 11.3 overs, meaning Notts ended a run of four consecutive home quarter-final defeats.

Ryder scored his runs from 30 balls but had to go as Mullaney diverted Nick Browne’s drive onto the stumps. Earlier, Greg Smith top-scored for the hosts with 50 before Notts struggled against Ryan ten Doeschate, the medium-pacer picking up three for 19 from four overs.

Ravi Bopara won the toss for the Eagles and opted to bowl. Michael Lumb made just 11 before edging Paul Walter to slip in the third over. Riki Wessels made 36 but perished to ten Doeschate’s first delivery.

Smith was bowled by Bopara but it was ten Doeschate who struck further blows by dismissing two dangermen in Dan Christian and Patel.

Outlaws skipper Christian was uncharacteristically out of sorts and made 21 before being caught by Graham Napier while Patel fell in the penultimate over for 23.

Chris Read added a useful 12 in the final over, which saw Luke Wood fall for a duck on his T20 debut to give Napier a second wicket.

Ryder and Browne put on 65 in seven overs but once the first wicket had fallen, the Eagles fell away as the Outlaws’ slower bowlers dominated the middle overs.

Patel took three wickets in four deliveries as Browne, Tom Westley and Ashar Zaidi struggled with the pressure, the latter holing out second ball after opening his innings with a maximum.

Tahir dismissed Bopara and then Mullaney removed Dan Lawrence, batting with a runner after tweaking a hamstring in the field, and Napier. With 41 runs required from two overs, Harry Gurney sealed Notts’ place at Edgbaston with the wickets of Walter and James Foster.