BOLTON'S Matt Parkinson took a career best figures of 5-68 but could not help Lancashire as they went down to Royal London One-Day Cup champions Nottinghamshire by nine runs at Old Trafford.

On the competition's opening night, the Outlaws defended a target of 319 as Lancashire slipped from 245-3 after 40 overs when it looked like they would secure their record chase.

Former Lancashire batsman Steven Mullaney (70), Ross Taylor (58) and Chris Nash (52) all made important contributions as Nottinghamshire reached 318 all out from 49.5 overs.

While the last 10 overs yielded 106 runs, leg-spinner Parkinson, who went to Bolton School and Canon Slade sixth form, claimed all of his five wickets inside the last seven on his Red Rose list A debut.

Lancashire's Keaton Jennings hit a brilliant 136 from 129 balls but, despite a third successive century in all forms, he fell in the 47th over to leave the score at 288-6.

Harry Gurney had him caught at square-leg pulling before Jake Ball struck twice in the next over.

Left-arm seamer Gurney finished with3-61 as Lancashire, who saw Dane Vilas and captain Liam Livingstone make 41 and 33, fell agonisingly short on 309-9.