Last-gasp http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nottinghamshire-c826 pip Somerset to County Championship title
In an enthralling finish to cricket’s County Championship season, Nottinghamshire won the Division One title by the narrowest of margins.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lancashire-c806 at Old Trafford, giving the hosts a bowling bonus point and therefore the title.
Notts picked up enough bonus points from their rain-affected, drawn match in Manchester to reach 214 for the season, ensuring that they pipped second-placed Somerset to the title by virtue of winning more matches.
Somerset also finished on 214 points, but their draw at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Durham-c782’s Chester-le-Street wasn’t enough.
Rain in the north west had ensured that barely any play was possible for the first three days of Notts’ clash at Old Trafford, but after resuming on 89-2 after day three had been completely washed out, Notts started the final day of the season in fine form, and a partnership of 153 between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Samit-Patel-c2426 (96) edged them ever closer to their target of 400 – and five crucial batting bonus points.
With Somerset pushing hard for a result at Durham – where a win would give them the title – Notts knew that reaching their target was becoming crucial, and despite a late batting collapse, Ryan Sidebottom and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chris-Read-c1248 declaring on 400-9.
With Somerset settling for a draw at Durham, Notts now needed to take three Lancashire wickets in the final hour to claim the extra bowling bonus point.
In the event, they needed just five overs.
Sidebottom removed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mark-Chilton-c1900 caught behind by Read.
With only one more wicket left, Notts hearts would have sunk when they saw the resilient Chanderpaul emerge, however the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 legend was to only last three balls, and when Adams found his edge, slip Patel took the catch to start the Notts celebrations.
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