Nottinghamshire’s 2012 season ended with a draw against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge after the visitors, set an improbable 421 for victory, had reached 290-8 by the close.

The result means that Notts finish in fifth place in the Division One table, a position that Mick Newell, director of cricket, admits is disappointing.

“Yes, but the table eventually doesn’t lie,” he said. “I’m disappointed – I think we should have done better than we have done. Sixth last year to fifth this year is not enough of an improvement – I felt we should have made a bit more progress.”

Notts gave it their all in a bid to end the season with a positive result, as Newell confirmed.

“We’ve given a very good performance over four days against a very good side.

“Although Warwickshire had already won the championship and were pretty relaxed, they sent a full strength side over and we were obviously a number of players down so I’m very pleased with how we’ve fared.”

Warwickshire set off in pursuit of what would be the second-highest run chase ever by a visiting side at Trent Bridge (Middlesex successfully chased 502 in 1925).

Their pursuit floundered early, with three wickets going down in 16 overs before lunch, all of them to Luke Fletcher – and all of them caught behind by Chris Read.

Varun Chopra (8) had been put down by Steven Mullaney, at second slip, off Ben Philips when on 6 but only made a couple more before falling.

Darren Maddy (5) and Jim Troughton (2) were dismissed in similar fashion, as Fletcher reached lunch with figures of 3-20.

Ian Westwood and Rikki Clarke (31) then held up Notts for twelve overs before Paul Franks picked up his first wicket of the innings with one that skittled through to bowl the right-hander.

Chris Woakes then joined Westwood (46) in a stand of 57 before Graeme White claimed his first wicket of the contest, aided by a sharp slip catch from Steven Mullaney.

Either side of tea Woakes and Ian Blackwell  built another threatening partnership, although Franks spilled a difficult diving chance just before the break, as Woakes almost holed out off the occasional off-spin of Riki Wessels.

Franks altered the momentum when he returned to the attack by having Blackwell (44) brilliantly taken by Mullaney and Richard Johnson (0) lbw first ball.

He failed to secure the hat-trick – as he had done in the 1997 fixture between the two sides but made it three wickets in nine balls when Neil Edwards caught Woakes (80) in his next over.

Despite taking the second new ball Keith Barker (44 not out) and Chris Wright (19 not out) saw out the final thirteen overs as Warwickshire secured the draw at around ten minutes to six on the final evening of the season.

Earlier, Notts had batted on for just four more overs in the morning, during which Franks (86 not out) and Fletcher (42 not out) added 25 before Read declared on 469-8.