On the penultimate day of the LV= county championship season Nottinghamshire, and opponents Somerset, guaranteed their first division status for next year.
After dismissing their guests for 372, with Harry Gurney claiming career best figures of 5-81, the home side scampered to 139 for three by stumps, an overall lead of 173 with just one day of the season remaining.
Whilst runs continued to flow freely at Trent Bridge, it was Derbyshire’s efforts, seventeen miles away at home to Warwickshire, which ensured they would be joining Surrey in the bottom tier in 2014.
When news broke through that Derbyshire had been bowled out for just 103 in their first innings, missing out on the necessary batting bonus points, both sides could begin to relax somewhat at Nottingham.
At around the same time Samit Patel ended a 248-run stand between Nick Compton and James Hildreth by picking up his first wicket of the contest.
Patel, man of the match in Saturday’s YB40 final, moved ahead of Moeen Ali in the race to be this year’s county championship MVP by yorking Compton (87) with a quicker ball.
Craig Kieswetter (14) missed out, edging Paul Franks to Steven Mullaney at second slip, in the final over before lunch.
Notts took the second new ball as soon as it became due and reaped dividends as three wickets fell in just seven deliveries.
Hildreth’s marathon ended on 161, shortly after he’d passed 1,000 first class runs for the season, as he nicked Fletcher behind from the final ball of the 83rd over.
The next delivery, bowled by Gurney, saw Jos Butler (13) given out lbw but there was no obvious goodbye wave as he made his way off, despite the speculation that this will be his final match for Somerset.
Five deliveries later, Craig Meschede (0) held out his bat and guided the left-armer straight into the hands of Michael Lumb in the gully.
Lewis Gregory and Peter Trego began tentatively but a change of bowling produced a flurry of runs. Gregory was fortunate to find a thickish inside edge sailing over the deep square leg rope, off Brett Hutton.
The pair put 62 on before Gurney’s return brought him the two wickets needed for his five-fer. He had Trego (22) easily taken at point and then Alfonso Thomas (2) edged to Riki Wessels at slip to bring up the milestone and his 100th first class scalp also.
Paul Franks wrapped things up by having Jamie Overton (0) caught behind, leaving Gregory unbeaten on 40.
Nottinghamshire’s second innings got off to a flying start with fourteen coming from the first over. Mullaney, timing it effortlessly, raced to his half century (38 balls 11x4) but then lost his partner after a stand of 77. Wessels (20) pulled Trego to midwicket, where Gregory took a low catch.
Mullaney (59) drove the same bowler to mid off and Michael Lumb (20) pulled Meschede into the hands of Thomas.
The day had a slightly curious ending as Kieswetter removed the wicketkeeper’s pads to have a bowl but Trescothick – rather than Buttler – put them on for the final five overs.
With both sides locked together on exactly the same number of points – but Somerset having won one game more this season - Nottinghamshire will need to force the win on the final day of the season to go ahead of their west country rivals.