Nottinghamshire’s final away match of the LV= County Championship season takes them to Edgbaston this week, where they face title hopefuls, Warwickshire.
There have been 48 previous meetings between the sides at first class level in Birmingham, with the initial contest taking place way back in 1894.
The overall record shows the home side with 14 victories, Nottinghamshire have ten wins, with 23 draws and one no result.
One of the most curious results of all time came in 1946 when Nottinghamshire put together a seven wicket victory, despite being bowled out for just 135 in their first innings. What makes it all the more remarkable is that all ten of those wickets fell to Eric Hollies, who ended with 10-46 and still finished on the losing side.
"Andre Adams, on 62 wickets, is neck and neck with Worcestershire’s Alan Richardson in the race to be Division One’s top wicket- taker."
Nottinghamshire’s lowest score in the series of fixtures came in 1988, when they lost by 161 runs. With captain Tim Robinson absent hurt, having been forced to retire injured in the first innings, his side fell for just 44 runs, second time around. Paul Johnson was out Hit Wicket, to the bowling of Antiguan fast bowler Tyrone Merrick, whilst Mick Newell – current director of cricket – opened the innings and carried his bat for 10 not out.
Two years later came one of the tightest finishes between Notts and Warwickshire, with the visitors sneaking home by just 5 runs. The Bears fielded a 4-pronged Test attack in that game of Allan Donald, Gladstone Small, Tim Munton and Joey Benjamin.
In 2000, on the same day that England defeated Zimbabwe in the last Trent Bridge Test between the two countries, Nottinghamshire’s openers broke the county first wicket record at Edgbaston by putting on an undefeated 406. Guy Welton made 200 not out, with Darren Bicknell unbeaten on 180.
In 2001 Warwickshire won by 139 runs. As Notts subsided to a second innings collapse they were helped on their way by a spell of 3-1- 3-3 by Mark Wagh – later to move to Notts – whose victims included Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen had a better time of it two years later and made 221 not out - one run more than Chris Lewis scored in the 1994 fixture on the same ground.
KP’s double was complemented by a Chris Cairns century as Notts powered on to 646, their highest total in Birmingham.
Warwickshire’s highest total at home to Notts was 520 in 1930, with Alf Croon’s 159 the largest individual score for the home X1.
Three Notts players have made their first class debuts on the ground – John Howarth, Peter Plummer and Bobby Chapman, whilst Keith Barker – currently enjoying a very good season for the West Midland county, made his initial appearance in the 2009 game.
Last year Stuart Broad’s second innings’ 8-52 propelled his side to a 10 wicket victory and completed a home and away ‘double’.
This season Warwickshire revered the trend somewhat, winning by 9 wickets at Trent Bridge. The Notts side included six players unlikely to feature this week – Akhil Patel, Adam Voges, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Mark Wagh – and Ali Brown, playing in what turned out to be his final first class match.
Apart from Mark Wagh, the likes of Deryck Murray, Dilip Doshi, Eddie Hemmings, Vasbert Drakes and Anurag Singh have turned out for both county sides over the past half-century.
Warwickshire go into the match in second place in the table – just seven points behind Durham, who have played a game more. Ashley Giles’ squad would be in an even stronger position but for having been deducted eight points earlier in the season for having a ‘poor’ pitch for their match against Worcestershire.
Notts are currently fifth – needing to win both of their final matches to have any chance of leapfrogging a couple of other sides to make the top three.
Individual milestones to look out for over the next few days:
Paul Franks remains on 495 first class wickets and has now scored 664 runs this season, only 101 behind last year, which was the best of his career.
Andre Adams, on 62 wickets, is neck and neck with Worcestershire’s Alan Richardson in the race to be Division One’s top wicket- taker. Monty Panesar is four adrift, on 58. Andre topped the top-flight table last year with 68 wickets.
One table that Andre is sure to head is the list of Div One six-hitters. He has blasted 29 over the ropes, with Marcus Trescothick a distant second on 18.
Chris Read needs 87 more runs to reach 1,000 for the third time in his career. He also has 47 victims to his name (43 catches and 4 stumpings), just one behind Lancashire’s Gareth Cross.
For those supporters travelling to Edgbaston – or tuning in for internet commentary on BBC Radio Nottingham – a reminder that September hours now apply, with play starting at 10.30am each day
After the trip to Birmingham, Nottinghamshire have one final match to play – at home to Sussex, beginning on Monday 12 September 2011.
Dave Bracegirdle will provide ball-by-ball coverage of Nottinghamshire's LV= County Championship match at Edgbaston on behalf of BBC Radio Nottingham.