A top-of-the-table clash with subplots aplenty, this week's encounter between Nottinghamshire and Middlesex promises drama and intrigue in equal measure.
Every ball will be streamed live at trentbridge.co.uk, with a number of narratives to look out for as the contest continues.
A crunch clash
As the top two sides in the second division collide at Trent Bridge, this is a fixture that, were it being played at one of Nottingham’s nearby sporting cathedrals, would more than earn the moniker ‘six pointer’.
And while ‘forty-six pointer’ may not roll off the tongue in quite the same way, the destiny of the County Championship promotion race will undoubtedly be shaped by events over the next four days.
Nottinghamshire hold the upper hand by a ten-point margin, with Middlesex having established a 17-point cushion over third-placed Glamorgan.
With the two sides having contested a draw at Lord’s earlier in the season, this is a priceless opportunity to secure control of the race for Division One.
Duckett's dominance
When Leicestershire made nigh-on 450 in their first innings against Notts at Grace Road, the task of reaching parity with such scoreboard pressure appeared a stern one.
Ben Duckett, however, simply strapped his pads on, strolled to the middle and merrily dispatched the home attack to all parts of the Uptonsteel County Ground.
Duckett’s 145 from 153 deliveries was his second ton of the season – and having been in sumptuous touch during Notts’ Vitality Blast demolition of Derbyshire Falcons in midweek, the left-hander is well-placed to add to his eye-catching run of scores this summer.
Patterson-White's potency
Nottinghamshire’s much-vaunted pace attack has played a key role in their ascent to the head of the Division Two table – none more so than Dane Paterson, with 28 wickets across five appearances.
But not only has Paterson’s near-namesake matched the South African for wicket-taking potency, Liam Patterson-White has snared more scalps than any other spin bowler in the country.
The left-armer, whose home venue is hardly regarded as a slow bowlers’ paradise, has bowled with economy, guile and threat across all seven of his red-ball appearances to date this summer, with only the pace trio of Keith Barker, Toby Roland-Jones and Matthew Potts tasting success on more occasions.
Toby Roland-Jones' timelessness
He may have made an unforgettable impact during his brief cameo as an England Test cricketer, but Toby Roland Jones’ name will always be inextricably linked with County Championship cricket.
His title-sealing hat-trick for Middlesex in 2016 was one of the most dramatic denouements to a red-ball season in living memory – although Old Trafford 2010 will always have the edge for those of a Nottinghamshire persuasion – and his performances this summer have been the model of consistency.