Nottinghamshire lost their final Specsavers County Championship match of the season when they went down by 325 runs against Somerset at Taunton.
Chris Read’s side had been set an all-but impossible victory target of 541 runs to win or the marginally easier challenge of surviving five sessions for the draw.
On a surface that aided the home side’s spin bowlers even more significantly than in the first innings, they made it to 215 in their second innings; losing the match at around 4.30pm on the third day.
Billy Root top-scored for Notts, making an unbeaten 66, his highest championship score to date but Jack Leach posed a constant threat and took four for 69, whilst Roelof van der Merwe had three for 56.
Somerset had declared their second innings closed at lunch-time, on 313 for five, with captain Chris Rogers unbeaten on exactly 100. Samit Patel was the most successful of the Nottinghamshire bowlers, finishing with figures of three for 95.
Mick Newell said that Notts were trying to delay Somerset’s declaration for as long as possible and then try and survive on a worn surface.
“From our perspective we were trying to string the game out and slow it down and see what that could bring but once we lost one wicket, there was a steady procession and we never really came to terms with their spin bowlers,” he said.
Root’s innings was the major plus of the day, according to the director of cricket.
“Sometimes you can get small glimpses of something and Billy played nicely; I was quite pleased with that and hopefully he can take some confidence from it. It’s up to him now, he’s got to kick on and try and get himself a regular place in the team next year.”
Nottinghamshire began their second innings after a lunch-time declaration, with Steven Mullaney and Jake Libby at the crease.
Purposeful batting saw them tick over at three runs an over for the first over, during which time Rogers used six different bowlers.
Mullany reached 1,000 championship runs when reaching nine, having lifted Dom Bess over mid-on for four.
A repeat, from the bowling of van der Merwe, wasn’t as successful and Peter Trego gathered the catch to end the openers’ season on 18.
Two run outs then blotted the visitors’ efforts. A direct hit from sub Max Waller accounted for Jake Libby for 26 and then Trego’s return found Tom Moores short of his ground, for only four.
Patel and Michael Lumb batted positively, adding 57 together in the period before tea but the break unsettled their rhythm and it took only two deliveries before Lumb was given out lbw for 31.
His partner, Patel, went the same way, shortly afterwards – after scoring 37 – and wickets fell regularly from then on, despite resistance from Root.
Joe’s younger brother reached his 50 from 56 balls with seven fours and a towering six off Leach but he saw Chris Read and Brett Hutton fall for noughts within three balls of each other.
Matt Carter made five and Jake Ball was stumped for 11. Imran Tahir was last out, caught from a steepler by Trego, a catch that heralded jubilant scenes as the home supporters began to dream that they’d done enough to clinch their first title.
An anxious few hours, sweating on the outcome of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match, awaits them.
Earlier, Somerset had an overall lead of 332 when the day began, with the hosts resuming on their second innings score of 105 for two.
Notts sprang a surprise from the off, with Billy Root bowling the first couple of overs from the River End. He emerged unscathed as only five runs came from his 12 deliveries but Somerset weren’t so kind on the other bowlers.
The morning session produced 208 runs as the title contenders rattled along at a very healthy rate. Wicketkeeper Ryan Davies hit a couple of maximums before being stumped for 59, off Patel.
Patel took the other two wickets to fall, bowling Peter Trego for a quick-fire 55 (36 balls, 7x4, 2x6) and having Craig Overton caught in the deep by Imran Tahir, for 21.
As the lead soared past 450 and then 500 it became increasingly clear that the Somerset skipper was on the hunt for his second century of the game.
With the milestone growing closer an interesting game of cat and mouse developed as Notts looked to starve him of the strike to delay the declaration.
Rogers could only add singles as he neared three figures and his frustration nearly got him out. On 98 he clipped Brett Hutton to leg but had a reprieve as Steven Mullaney grassed the chance at midwicket.
From the penultimate ball of the morning session Rogers reached his second ton of the match, his 76th in all, getting there from 139 balls, with 13 fours.
The declaration was timely – Rogers and co now have to wait and see if they’ve done enough.