Since the early weeks of the season the forthcoming matches between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire have been identified as potential title-deciders.
The two counties will square up at Trent Bridge for the final round of championship matches but meet before then, at Edgbaston this week.
Notts would have hoped, of course, of being a little closer in the table but go into the contest 27 points adrift, with Sussex sandwiched between the two rivals in second place.
There have been 49 previous meetings between the sides at first class level in Birmingham, with the initial contest taking place way back in 1894.
The overall record shows the home side with 15 victories, Nottinghamshire have ten wins, with 23 draws and one no result.
Last season Notts were on the wrong end of a comprehensive defeat, losing a late-season match by an innings and 114 runs.
The home side batted for most of the first two days in compiling their highest home total against Notts - 574-7 declared – with Ian Westwood’s 171 surpassing Alf Croon’s 1930 score of 159 as the highest score in a home match v Notts.
Jim Troughton and Rikki Clarke also scored centuries for Warwickshire.
Notts made 238 in reply, with Alex Hales recording 72. The opener went even better second time around, carrying his bat for a score of 106 not out – still his only first class century away from Trent Bridge.
Despite Hales’ efforts Notts were dismissed early on the final day for 222.
The young right-hander wasn’t the first to carry his bat for Notts at Edgbaston. That honour fell to his director of cricket.
Mick Newell, though, was left stranded on an unbeaten 10 in the 1988 fixture as Notts were dismissed for just 44 in their second innings to lose by 161 runs.
Two years later came one of the tightest finishes between Notts and Warwickshire, with the visitors sneaking home by just 5 runs. The Bears fielded a 4-pronged Test attack in that game of Allan Donald, Gladstone Small, Tim Munton and Joey Benjamin.
Past meetings have featured some unusual occurrences – none more so than the 1931 clash. Aged 52, Notts batsman George Gunn scored 183 and his son, 26-year-old George Vernon Gunn, made 100 not out, his maiden century for the county. It is the only instance of father and son scoring hundreds in the same innings.
One of the most curious results of all-time came in 1946 when Nottinghamshire put together a seven wicket victory, despite being bowled out for just 135 in their first innings. What makes it all the more remarkable is that all ten of those wickets fell to Eric Hollies, who ended with 10-46 and still finished on the losing side.
In 2000, on the same day that England defeated Zimbabwe in the last Trent Bridge Test between the two countries, Nottinghamshire’s openers broke the county first-wicket record at Edgbaston by putting on an undefeated 406. Guy Welton made 200 not out, with Darren Bicknell unbeaten on 180.
In 2001 Warwickshire won by 139 runs. As Notts subsided to a second innings collapse they were helped on their way by a spell of 3-1- 3-3 by Mark Wagh – later to move to Notts – whose victims included Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen had a better time of it two years later and made 221 not out - one run more than Chris Lewis scored in the 1994 fixture on the same ground.
KP’s double was complemented by a Chris Cairns century as Notts powered on to 646, their highest total in Birmingham.
Three Notts players have made their first class debuts at Edgbaston – John Howarth, Peter Plummer and Bobby Chapman, whilst Warwickshire’s Keith Barker made his initial appearance in the 2009 game.
Two seasons ago Stuart Broad’s second innings’ 8-52 propelled his side to a 10-wicket victory and completed a home and away ‘double’.
Mentioned earlier, Mark Wagh has turned out for both counties, along with the likes of Deryck Murray, Dilip Doshi, Eddie Hemmings, Vasbert Drakes and Anurag Singh.
For those supporters travelling to Edgbaston – or tuning in for internet commentary on BBC Radio Nottingham – a reminder that the playing hours have been changed for the opening two days.
With Warwickshire playing in Scarborough on Monday, the first day of the match (Tuesday) will see play begin at 12.00 (midday) and conclude at 6.30, or after 88 overs.
The second day will make up for the lost overs, with play running from 11am until 6.30pm (104 overs).
Michael Lumb needs 41 runs to become the first Notts player to reach 1,000 first class runs for the season – and 102 to bring up the milestone in the championship.
Dave Bracegirdle provides ball-by-ball commentary on all of Nottinghamshire's LV= County Championship matches on behalf of BBC Radio Nottingham.