Nottinghamshire were made to wait until midway through the fourth afternoon before completing a five wicket victory over Worcestershire at New Road.
Set to score 232 for victory, the visitors eased their way to their fourth LV= County Championship success of the campaign with Riki Wessels making 88 and James Taylor scoring 66. Both fell when the victory line was in sight but Chris Read and Samit Patel remained together to secure the win.
Mick Newell was delighted at seeing his side pick up yet another win, after a tiring month on the road.
“It’s 31 days since we played at Trent Bridge and we’ve won eleven matches and remained unbeaten in that time,” he said.
“So it’s a fantastic effort from everyone. The players deserve all the credit because they’ve put in some really big performances and we’re in a much better position than we were 31 days ago.”
The director of cricket paid tribute to a couple of the youngsters, for the role they played in the win. “One of the big things is how Brett Hutton and Jake Ball, plus Luke Wood, who didn’t play here, have come on this season. Their development is something we’re really proud of.”
Having seen his side to victory captain Read admitted he was hoping not to be needed.
“I was hoping not to get a go,” he said.
“I thought Riki and James’ partnership was fantastic and took us from a sticky patch at 37 for three to a position of relative calm. Both got out but Samit played sensibly and it was nice to get over the line.”
The win ended a terrific first week for Imran Tahir, who has now been on four winning sides in his first few days as a Nottinghamshire player.
“I’d just like to thank Notts for giving me this opportunity,” he said.
“I think we’re playing good cricket as a team and you saw the result. The guys have been good with their plans and I’m just really pleased that I’ve had a good start.
"The batters are in good form and the bowlers are doing well. It was a good team effort and I’m delighted to be on the winning side.”
The start of the final day of this LV= County Championship fixture was put back for just a couple of minutes by morning showers and then a heavier burst took the players off after only three unproductive deliveries had been bowled.
Once play did start, 45 minutes of cricket produced 29 runs before lunch with Taylor passing fifty for the sixth time in this season’s championship, getting there from 84 balls, with four fours. Wessels, who’d begun the day on 70, had moved to 85 not out by the interval.
Brighter weather enveloped New Road as play restarted on the final afternoon but there were soon darker clouds circling over the Notts dressing room as two wickets fell in quick succession.
Taylor charged at Saeed Ajmal and ballooned the ball high to cover, where Alex Gidman took the offering.
The Wessels and Taylor partnership of 157 for the fourth wicket was a county record against Worcestershire, beating the 142 set by Joe Hardstaff and Tom Reddick at Dudley in 1947.
Patel arrived at the crease on a pair after his first innings duck but was greeted with a long hop from Brett D’Oliveira, which he emphatically pulled for six to get off the mark.
Ajmal then started a new over and claimed his second big scalp as Wessels played a similar shot to the one that had accounted for Taylor. This time it was Jack Shantry, at mid off, circling to take the dropping ball.
Patel and Read ensured there were no further alarms and it was the Notts captain, who had made the top score in the match (his first innings’ 90), who fittingly stroked back to back boundaries to win the match.
It was the county’s first win at New Road since 2001 when the county chased a record target of 461 and won by seven wickets.
Nottinghamshire picked up 22 points for the victory, strengthening their fifth placed spot in the first division table and moving them to within five points of Durham.
The success also extended the side’s unbeaten run to 13 matches, including a couple of wash-outs, since the T20 Blast defeat at home to Worcestershire Rapids on 3rd July. That run now includes ten straight victories from the completed matches.