BIRMINGHAM Bears suffered an agonising final ball defeat against Nottinghamshire Outlaws after conceding 21 runs in the last over.
The Bears posted 206-7 from their 20 overs which included an electric knock from overseas star Tom Latham at Edgbaston.
And the hosts appeared set for victory heading into the final over of play from which the Outlaws required 16 runs to win.
However, Daniel Sams smashed two sixes, either side of a couple of singles, and then ran a single to leave the visitors on the brink of victory.
The Outlaws required just one run from the final ball as Tom Moores hit Ed Barnard for six to condemn the Bears to a six-wicket defeat.
That came after the Bears also scored 200-plus runs again in a 32-run success against Yorkshire at Headingley.
The results mean Birmingham sit fifth in the T20 Blast North Group table.
Against Nottinghamshire, the Bears recovered superbly from the early loss of opener Alex Davies (8).
Latham (69) and Dan Mousley (53) put on a 116-run second-wicket stand as the former found the boundary rope 10 times in a 39-ball innings.
And Barnard (23 not out) and Moeen Ali (34 not out) propelled the Bears to beyond the 200-run mark with a string of late boundaries.
In reply, Outlaws opener Lyndon James (50) reached a half-century before he was run out by Hassan Ali in the penultimate over.
During that time, Moores (74 not out) blasted five fours and six sixes in a match-winning contribution from just 33 deliveries.
And Joe Clarke (30), Freddie McCann (32) and Sams (16 not out) all scored quick runs to help the Outlaws to a dramatic victory.
Birmingham are next in action against local rivals Worcestershire Rapids on Friday, June 20 with the game to begin at 7pm at Edgbaston.
