Nottinghamshire and Somerset drew their match at Trent Bridge after the visitors were left to score 333 in the last session of the county season.

They didn’t accept the challenge and had reached 101-1 at the start of the final hour, with both captains happy to shake hands on the outcome.

Earlier Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 298, with James Taylor having scored 55 and Chris Read, an undefeated 52.

Beginning the day on 139 for three, Nottinghamshire’s expected acceleration didn’t materialise during a morning session which saw only 29 overs sent down and a pace of play which brought a slow handclap from supporters in the Radcliffe Road Stand.

Alfonso Thomas was their chief agitator, bowling a line well outside the off stump to an eight-man offside field.

Thomas could clearly justify his tactics as he picked up three wickets in the session, all after finding the outside edge.

James Taylor and Samit Patel’s third wicket stand had been extended to 76 by the time of the first breakthrough, an hour into the final day.

Patel (29), needing 61 to return to the top of the MVP rankings, chased Lewis Gregory and edged to Jos Buttler at first slip.

David Hussey’s final innings at Trent Bridge was, sadly, all-too-brief. He’d only made a single when he nicked his third ball to Buttler before departing to another standing ovation.

Taylor, who had reached his fifty from 111 balls and 9 fours, became Thomas’ next victim, this time wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter hung on to the offering and then Paul Franks (2) also fell to Thomas.

Resuming, after lunchtime presentations to the departing Hussey, the match continued at the same tempo as Chris Read and Brett Hutton made the most of any scoring opportunities in adding 75 for the eighth wicket.

Read’s own total was boosted by Somerset’s Lewis Gregory. Twice, in the space of only three deliveries, he shied at the stumps and turned scampered singles into fives for the home skipper.

Read’s half century, his second of the summer, came up in 96 balls, with 8 boundaries. The stand ended when Somerset took the second new ball.

Just its fourth delivery found Jamie Overton crashing one in to Hutton’s (42) off peg.

Peter Trego then quickly removed Luke Fletcher (1) and Harry Gurney (0) to end with 4-69.

Somerset’s second innings began quietly, with Riki Wessels keeping wicket in the absence of Read and Alex Hales on the field for Hussey.

If Hussey is to become Nottinghamshire’s past, then Brett Hutton may be the future and he was able to celebrate a maiden first class wicket as Marcus Trescothick (14) pulled straight into the hands of Taylor at midwicket.

Patel was twice lifted into the New Stand by Chris Jones who finished with an unbeaten 55 to his name.

Nottinghamshire finish the campaign in seventh spot, one place behind Somerset.